Hate Me, It's Easier
by Eternal Eyes
Summary: A/U Malik and Bakura are running from the police after breaking into the Domino Museum and are forced to hide out in a house til morning. Malik gets more than he bargained for this time.
1. Chapter 1

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_Some kind of light at the end  
I'm touching the edge of her skin  
Once so hard to speak  
Now so easy to play around  
--------------------------------------------_

"C'mon man you can admire the damn thing later!" 

"Chill out Bakura. You already took out the security system. You're acting like we're gonna get caught. We've done this a thousand times."

"Shut the hell up Malik, you're gonna fucking jinx us!" Bakura whispered harshly.

Malik merely rolled his eyes as he pocketed his precious treasure. They had broken into Domino's largest jewel retailer to obtain one of the world's smallest yet rarest jewels 'Heaven's Star'. As soon as Malik stepped foot off the pedestal where the jewel sat on a stand, an alarm sounded. Bakura cursed out loud as the sound of voices and thundering feet came.

"Shit let's get out of here!" Malik exclaimed and they took off running in the opposite direction.

They approached several windows but they were ceiling to floor windows. Frantically the two searched for something to break through. The guards were getting closer and to top it all off, the police were coming as well. Out of sheer panic, they picked up another pedestal (after Bakura pocketed the item on it) and put it through the window, effectively creating a large gaping hole. They kicked out a bit more of the glass before going out and running away. They ran for six blocks before jumping a fence and going through the backyards. The cops must've figured out what street the two were on because they started coming up on both ends. They stopped in one backyard and managed to pry open one of the windows on the back of the house. They hurriedly climbed in and Bakura shut the window, letting it slide and slam down. The noise was loud in the dark, quiet house.

"Guess we'll just have to lay low here for a bit. At least until they leave." Malik whispered.

He mildly wondered if anyone was home, maybe some naive little virgin. He licked his lips at that thought then jumped off the couch he had just settled on when a crash sounded behind him.

Her eyes snapped open then. She thought it was just her imagination before but now she knew. Someone was definitely in the house. Getting out of her comfy Queen-size bed, she reached beside her desk where her trusty metal bat was sitting against the wall. Gripping it tightly, she made her way downstairs where the disturbance erupted from.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" He exclaimed in a harsh whisper.

Bakura, in his impossibility to stay still for three seconds, had tripped over the rug in front of the fireplace and knocked over the stand that held the pokers and shovel. He snorted at Malik as he brushed himself off. He suddenly got the feeling something was behind him and he spun around. But before he could do anything he was slammed in the stomach by a powerful object. Malik jumped forward, grabbing the attackers arm before they had another chance. He whipped out his switchblade as he twisted their arm behind their back, pulling them to him as he placed the blade at their throat. From the feel of the body he could tell it was female. In her shock, she dropped the bat.

"Ahh good girl." He muttered in her ear, smirking as she shivered.

"Damn bitch." He heard Bakura groan and felt her stiffen,

'There's two!' She thought in alarm. 'Great I'm screwed! Nice going girl!' She scolded herself.

"Get the light man." Malik instructed as he dropped her on the couch.

Bakura grumbled but did it anyway. As son as the light flickered on, she screwed her eyes shut tightly in protest. Malik moved to stand in front of the girl while Bakura sat in the armchair, nursing his throbbing gut. Malik smiled a bit in amusement at seeing her eyes still shut.

"You can open your eyes my dear." He said.

She slowly opened her eyes, revealing to him the most beautiful blue eyes he'd ever seen. She raised her eyes to meet his. She blinked a bit in surprise as she looked at him; she had never seen someone who looked as exotic as he did. He was wearing a large deep purple colored hoodie with a pair of baggy black jeans. He had a healthy tan, sun-kissed blonde hair and beautiful, deep amethyst eyes. She looked over at his partner in crime, who was currently glaring at her. He had a plain black long-sleeved shirt and black jeans. His hair was long and white but tied back and hidden beneath a black ball cap that rested backwards on his head. His skin was pale, making his crimson-brown eyes stand out a bit more. She was the first to speak.

"Why are you in my house?" She asked.

It was his turn to be observant. He could tell she was putting up a brave front but he could see a tiny spark of fear in her eyes. Her hair was a dark chocolate color that fell just past her shoulders and her skin was a fair peaches 'n' cream. She was wearing a pair of light blue pajamas consisting of a spaghetti strap top and somewhat small shorts. She had her arms crossed over her chest, seemingly uncomfortably with her attire in their presence.

"Are you going to answer my question or are you not finished gawking at me?" She snapped suddenly.

He nearly growled in anger as he shoved the blade against her throat and grabbed a handful of her hair, pushing her deep into the cushions of the couch. She gasped quietly, her eyes wide.

"I would watch how you speak if I were you. You are in no position to be so fucking mouthy." He bit out.

"A simple 'yes' or 'no' would have sufficed." She muttered.

"Obviously you don't understand the seriousness of your current situation." He said, narrowing his eyes.

"Just kill her and get it over with." Came Bakura's annoyed voice.

Malik slowly straightened, letting the blade fall from her throat as he trailed his hand from her hair along her jaw line. She pushed away from him, narrowing her eyes in anger.

"Hmm…maybe I will, maybe I won't." He said as he sat on the coffee table in front of her.

She pulled a large pillow from the other end of the couch to cover her body, making her feel less open in front of these two strange men.

"What is your name?" He asked, keeping the knife in her sight as a silent reminder for her to watch her mouth.

"Anzu." She replied.

"Why is a girl of your young age…all alone…in such a big house?" He continued.

"My roommate is out of town." She lied.

She decided to keep her answers short and simple, with a lie if need be. He didn't say anything more so she tried her earlier question again.

"Why are you in my house?"

He looked up at her, smirking slightly before looking back at his knife.

"Hiding out." He replied, his voice lowering a bit.

"From?" She asked.

He stood up, ignoring her question.

"Where's your kitchen?" He asked.

"Back there." She pointed over her shoulder.

"Bakura go find something." He told him.

"My stomach is in no condition to have food no thanks to that bitch." He griped.

"Serves you right bastard." She hissed without hesitation.

"Look here you little-"

"Bakura!" Malik snapped.

Bakura glared at him then went to the kitchen. Malik waited until he was in there before speaking.

"You listen and you listen good: We'll be staying here until morning whether you like it or not. You will go back to your room. Don't bother trying to contact any type of authority, I will make you regret it if you do. Am I understood?" He told her, flipping his blade around in his hand.

She nodded slowly.

"Get." He said as he stepped back and jerked his head towards the stairs.

She jumped up from the couch, intent on getting as far away from him as possible. She heard him say 'sweet dreams' and laugh as she ran up the stairs. She ran into her room, shutting the door behind her, not caring at all if it slammed. She leaned against it, sliding to the floor. Closing her eyes, she took in a shaky deep breath. Reaching up to the doorknob she twisted the lock. She didn't know it she'd get through the night with them in the house. She decided to try and get some sleep since there was nothing else she could do. Before going back to bed, she slid the back of her wooden desk chair beneath the doorknob as an extra precaution. It was made of 100 percent solid oak so she knew it would hold. Feeling slightly satisfied, she slid beneath her covers, pulling the over her head and tried to sleep.

Anzu woke with a start the next morning. She had a particularly disturbing 'what if' dream that night. Her eyes quickly shifted to her bedroom door, relieved to see the chair still intact. She also noticed a square piece of paper beneath. Slowly standing from the bed, she retrieved the paper.

'Aww how sweet, the bastard left a note.' She thought with sarcasm when she read its contents.

She figured it to be safe to go downstairs now since he did say they would only be there until morning.

"I wouldn't be surprised if my fridge and pantry is nearly empty." She muttered to herself.

She grabbed her robe to wrap up in before going downstairs. She slowly made her way to the living room, happy to see that the only thing out of place was the stand that the guy knocked over. Going into her kitchen, she was pleased to see they didn't eat her out of house and home. They looked like they could eat a lot. She went back into the living room and plopped onto the couch. Immediately upon sitting, she shot off it when something sharply jabbed her backside. Reaching into the cushions she obtained the object. It was a very small jewel; it was very pretty and looked very expensive.

"Where did this come from?" She wondered aloud.

Then a thought suddenly hit her. It must've come from one of the guys which meant they would probably come back for it when they noticed it was missing.

'Great just what I need.' She griped mentally.

She went up to her room and placed it in her jewelry box then decided on a shower and perhaps a walk in the park afterwards.

-

"Where the hell is it?" He muttered.

He had ransacked his room looking for the precious gem and turned up nothing.

"Malik they're gonna be here any-what the hell are you doing?" Bakura began as he walked in.

"I can't find the damn jewel." He said as he started pulling clothes from his dresser.

"What do you mean you can't find it!" Bakura exclaimed.

"Just what I said!" Malik yelled.

Bakura joined him in the search and after about half an hour, they still came up with nothing. Malik dropped onto his bed, putting his head in his hands.

"I don't understand how you could've lost it." Bakura said.

"I don't either. I don't know where it could've-"

A thought interrupted him; a flashback from the night before.

"Damn it! It's at that house we were in last night, it has to be!" He exclaimed.

A car horn filtered through the open window.

"And we can't go back now and get it." He added.

"We can get it later." Bakura said as he walked out the room.

Malik scoffed, following him down the stairs. "Yeah assuming we're still alive then."

-

Anzu hummed happily as she entered her house. However, her happy tune ended abruptly when she saw the state of her living room; it was trashed. She slowly made her way through the debris, checking damages and if anything was missing. Nothing seemed to be missing, merely out of place. So she went upstairs to her room, only to find it in an even worse state.

"What would I have that-" She broke off her sentence when she remembered the jewel

She looked all through her room but couldn't find it.

'Maybe they came back and got it.' She thought.

Feeling somewhat better with that thought, she began tidying up the two trashed rooms. She found several pieces of broken glass from picture frames and a couple vases. She cursed the two in silent anger.

"I swear if I ever see them again I'm gonna-"

Her sentence was cut short when she turned around, finding the subject of her threat standing right behind her.

"You're gonna what?" He asked.

She stood her ground, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What the hell do you want? You already got what you came for." She asked.

"I don't know what you are talking about. I haven't been here since dawn." He replied, frowning at her.

"Like hell you don't. I came home to find my living room and my bedroom trashed and the jewel you left here gone. I live in a decent neighborhood so I don't know how anybody else could have known you were here." She told him through gritted teeth.

"What do you mean gone?" He asked.

"Gone…as in no longer here. Do you need a dictionary?" She snapped at him as she walked away.

"Fuck! Do you have any idea what you've done!" He exclaimed as he went after her.

She reeled around to face him, anger splashed across her face and he almost ran into her but he caught himself in time.

"What I've done! It's your fault. If you and your fuckbuddy hadn't come in here last night and left it, we wouldn't be having this conversation and my house wouldn't have been in complete chaos."" She told him, jabbing him in his shoulder with her finger with every other word.

He grabbed her hand to make her stop, pulling her against him.

"Hey!...I'm not gay." He said.

Anzu scoffed, rolling her eyes as she jerked her hand from him.

"Whatever shit you've sunk into is not my problem. Now get out or I'll contact the police." She told him.

"Ooh I'm shaking with fear. What's a little girl like you gonna do?" He asked mockingly.

"Don't mock me." She shot back.

"Whatever princess." He snorted in amusement as he ruffled her hair, laughing when she pushed him away, anger etched clearly across her face.

"Bastard." She muttered heatedly.

He chuckled again as he left the house.

"Ohh I should've screwed her….I'm gonna fucking die." He said low as he walked away from the house and onto the sidewalk.

"There he is." A camera shutter clicks.

"We found him Boss, leaving the residence of an Anzu Mazaki. She may have some involvement in this sir."

"All right, you may return to headquarters now, Mack. We'll devise a plan on what to do with her."

"Yes sir."

Mack packed up his equipment and pulled out onto the street, leaving the area.

As soon as Malik entered his house, two men grabbed him and he was hauled off to the living room where they dropped him on the couch. Now he was faced with his boss.

"Hey Boss…you know I was just coming back to-"

"Shut up kid. I was told you would have the jewel today. Yet here I find myself without it and waiting for your next excuse." Boss said.

"We did get it but we ran into a bit of a problem. Somehow it fell from my pocket when we hid out in a house last night. I went back for it this morning but it wasn't there." Malik said.

"I believe you ran into some complications that night as well?" Boss questioned.

Malik paused for a bit, quickly glancing at Bakura who was leaning against the door frame, then back at Boss.

'He knows.' He thought.

"Yes we did. Because my partner can't sit still for five seconds we ended up waking the girl who owned the house. I ran into her when I went back this morning and she said she came home to find her house trashed. She assumed we did it because the jewel was gone. I told her it wasn't us but she, of course, didn't believe me." Malik told him.

"Well you have a week to find it. You wouldn't want to end up in the same position as your brother was, would you?" Boss said, pushing the end of his gun against his throat.

Malik shook his head.

"That's a good boy. I'll be back in a week so you'd better have it. You know what'll happen if you don't." Boss said then left the house.

Malik stayed seated on the couch, his anger steadily boiling.

"So what-"

Bakura's sentence was cut off when Malik suddenly picked up a glass cup and threw it at the wall, shattering it. Bakura didn't dare approach Malik until later that night. He knew his temper and knew it was best to leave him for a few hours to cool down.

"So what are we going to do?" Bakura asked Malik as he stood in the doorway of his bedroom.

"We, of course, have to find it." He began.

"And if we don't?" Bakura asked.

"We can kiss our ass good-bye." Malik said flatly.

"Who else could've done it?"

Malik shrugged. "I've been thinking about that but I couldn't come up with anyone who would actually do it." He replied.

"What of the girl?" Bakura asked.

Malik shrugged again. "I can't decide if I want to screw her or let her die…or both." He answered.

Bakura chuckled. "Well we might have to go back to her house to see if we can find anything that might clue us in so maybe you'll get your chance then." He suggested.

"Hmm somehow I don't think she'll be that easy but…I always love a good challenge every now and then." He chuckled.

"I guess we can drop by in the morning. I need to sleep this shit off." He continued.

Bakura sighed irritably. "How much did you take?" He asked.

"The equivalent of a regular aspirin." He replied.

"You need to chill out with that man. That's the third time this week." Bakura scolded.

"I promise that's the last time for awhile. I've just been under a lot of stress lately. I needed something to take off the edge." He said as he lay down on his bed.

"All right, see you in the morning." He said and went down the hall to his own room.

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_Catching your eye you know  
That eye that slapped you in your face  
And called you a puppy  
Well how do you say I was hypnotized  
I was hypnotized  
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	2. Chapter 2

_

* * *

_

My words they pour  
_Like children to the playground  
__Children to the playground  
__You make me smile_

* * *

- 

The ringing doorbell raised her from a deep sleep. She sat up and looked at the clock; it was noon. She usually didn't sleep so late. Grumbling to herself, she got out of bed and went downstairs, straightening her clothes and her hair as she went to the door. Upon her opening the door, two bodies pushed past her and the door slammed shut. Blinking, she stared at the door in confusion then turned around, immediately frowning in anger when she saw who it was.

"What now?" She demanded.

"We're in a bit of trouble." Malik began.

"I already told you, whatever shit you've sunk into-"

"'Is not your problem' yeah I got that." He sighed in annoyance.

He could tell she wasn't going to make this easy.

"You're being watched." Bakura stated impatiently.

"What do you mean 'watched'?" She asked a frown still in place.

"Are you fucking stupid? Meaning every time you leave the house you are followed. EVERYWHERE YOU GO." Bakura sneered.

Anzu ran her hands through her hair, sighing in exasperation.

"I will be right back." She said and left the room.

Malik swore he heard a bit of malice in her tone but merely brushed it off, thinking she was just pissed that they were there. After a few moments, Bakura suddenly yelled out 'goddammit!' and fell onto the couch. Malik turned around only to have the end of a metal bat shoved into his stomach, forcing him to drop in the armchair.

"You dragged me into this didn't you!" She screeched.

Bakura moved to stand up but stopped as soon as she swung the bat up to lay across her shoulder.

"We –cough- didn't – deep intake of air- our boss did." Malik told her.

"No you did when you decided to 'stay the night'!" She retorted as she stood in front of him.

Bakura started to stand up to get the bat away from this crazy chick but she turned towards him.

"Sit down." She spat venomously and he dropped onto the couch immediately.

Malik saw an opportunity and in the few precious seconds she was distracted, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her down into his lap. Twisting her arm behind her back, he held her tight against his chest, effectively causing her to drop her weapon. Her eyes were slightly wide in surprise.

"All right, this is how it's going to go down. First, you're going to stop with that damn bat before you hurt somebody." He began.

"That's the point." She said.

"Second, you're going to be in this whether you like it or not. I haven't yet figured out what to do with you so I would watch what you say and what you do, it could seal your fate." He said.

"If you think for one minute I'm gonna let _you_ boss _me_ around you-"

He put his free hand over her mouth to stop her talking. She glared at him over his hand and he removed it. He leaned back against the couch and pulled her with him. Releasing her arm, he encircled both of his arms around her back, holding her tightly so she couldn't get up even if she tried and try she did.

"The more you fidget, the tighter my grip will be. I don't trust that you won't try and leave so you will stay like this until I wish to let you go. You might as well get comfortable because you could be here awhile." He told her.

She nearly growled in anger as she shifted slightly to get in a bit more comfortable position, huffing irritably when she finally settled. Bakura chuckled in amusement and she glared at him as best she could from the position she was in. the two guys talked about their predicament and the possibilities they had of getting out of it alive…there were very few. When evening rolled around, Malik sent Bakura into the kitchen to whip something up while he kept watch on the girl.

"I have to go to the bathroom." He heard her mumble.

"Really now? And how do I know that's not just an n excuse to get out of my arms?" He asked.

"I'll gladly give you proof if you do not let me up." She warned.

Malik immediately uncoiled his arms from her, allowing her to stand. She turned from him and raised her arms above her head, her toes curling into the carpet as she stretched out her limbs. She began to leave the room but not before noticing that _HE_ was following her.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she turned to face him.

"I'm following you to make sure that's exactly where you're going." He answered. "It's obvious neither of us trusts the other but for different reasons." He added after the look she gave him.

"How would you even know where the bathrooms are?" She asked as she continued her way.

"I know what each room contains. It got a little boring that night so I went looking around. How do you think I knew where your room was?" He replied as he followed her.

He thought about telling her he picked the lock on her door but didn't want to piss her off any further right now. Soon they approached the bathroom and she went inside to do her business. He smirked when he heard the lock on the door turn and leaned against the wall. Several moments passed before she finally emerged.

"About damn time! What took so long?" He asked.

She flushed a light red. "None of your business!" She retorted hotly then turned away and walked back to the living room.

She sat down on the couch only to be hauled into his lap as soon as he sat down. She, of course, tried to free herself but he wouldn't allow it. After a few unsuccessful attempts, she stopped and stayed still. After about a half hour, Bakura announced that he was done and Malik pulled Anzu into the dining room. It was about nine when they finished eating.

"So what now?" Anzu asked, eyeing both carefully.

"Sleep." Malik said simply.

With that said, he and Bakura headed upstairs with Anzu in tow. Bakura went into the room he had slept in before so it was just the two of them in the hall.

"All right princess it is time to sleep." He said as he headed towards her room.

"I hope you don't mean together." She said.

"Well now how else would I keep an eye on you?" He asked, tapping her nose with a single finger.

She angrily swatted his hand away.

"Unless, of course, you would rather sleep with Bakura? I can't guarantee he won't do anything to you but I can control myself. However those are your only options, I'd choose wisely if I were you." He warned her then stepped into her room.

She followed but a moment later. She got her night clothes and went into her bathroom to change. When she came back out, he was already in bed. He kept looking at her like he was going to devour her and that made her very uneasy. She turned out the light and slid into bed. She planned on staying as far away as possible but he foiled that plan when he suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. She was already aware he no shirt on, but she was not aware until her bare legs came in contact with his that he wasn't wearing any pants either and that made her tense up even more.

"Relax princess, I do still have some clothing on." He murmured in her ear.

She tried relaxing but was only able to relax enough to go to sleep. Her eyes slowly shut as she fell asleep.

-

"So where have they gone?" Boss asked.

"We believe they may have gone back to the girl's house. Most likely to try and find the jewel. We've already got a team of a few people assembled and are waiting for your command to dispatch them." Mack replied.

"You have my permission." He granted.

Mack turned to one of his lackey's and gave him the order.

"This boy will not last long." Boss said, inhaling deeply from his cigar.

-

Malik slowly woke up, basking in his relaxed state for the first time in a long time, before he opened his eyes. He was still lying on his side, with his arm stretched out beneath the other pillow and his other arm behind his back. Then he realized there seemed to be no one else with him in the bed. But upon him stretching out his legs, he brushed up against something smooth. Frowning a bit, he lifted the sheets, revealing Anzu who was curled in a semi-ball just under the pillow. He laid the sheet across her waist as he rose up on his elbow, propping his head up on his hand and looked down at her. Her legs were slightly bent and her arms curled against her chest, her hands centimeters from her face with her hair fanned out around her head. He reached down and brushed away the few locks of hair on her face. He felt himself smile; she looked so angelic when she was asleep.

'Hard to believe she can be such a hellion when awake.' He thought with amusement.

He lightly touched her cheek, tracing her jaw line, moving down to her throat and shoulder when she began to stir. He quickly pulled his hand back and waited for her to wake. She stretched a little, taking in a deep breath as her eyes fluttered open.

Anzu was confused when the first thing she saw was a man's naked chest. She shot back, sitting up and moved her gaze up. Angry, confused blue met with calm, amused amethyst.

"Oh it's just you." She mumbled.

She moved to get up but failed to realize she was on the edge of the bed and began to slide off. She reached to grab the sheet beneath them to keep from falling at the same time Malik grabbed her arm. He slid his arm around her waist to pull her from the edge. She tried to get up but his arm prevented such movement and she fell back on the bed.

"Let go." She sighed, closing her eyes as she rubbed them.

He could tell she wasn't much of a morning person but decided to push his luck a little further.

"Hmm…I don't think I will." He said with a mischievous smile.

She opened her eyes to glare at him then pushed herself up, determined to get out of the bed. He pushed her back down, this time rising up to loom over her as he pinned her arms to the bed, lacing his fingers through hers. She struggled to break free but he wouldn't budge. Her eyes widened very slightly and he thought he saw a flicker of panic pass through her face. He wanted to make her squirm for a minute, make her think he was going to do something. However he didn't realize the panic attack he was about the set off. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss behind her ear, letting the tip of his tongue glide along the little dip. A faint whimper rose in her throat as she moved her head away. She began breathing irregularly, trying hard to steady its pattern. She unconsciously griped his hands tightly as her panic grew. She began to fidget as another whimper rose. Slightly confused, he rose up to look down at her. He was surprised to see tears leaking from the corners of her eyes and her gnawing on her bottom lip roughly, almost enough to draw blood. Her frightened eyes locked with his and it made him want to stop what he was doing.

"Please get off me." She begged in a barely audible whisper.

He slowly moved off her, just to see what she would do. She flew up in an upright position, kicked the sheets away and jumped off the bed to run to her bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

"I'll have to question her later about that." He said then he got up, grabbed his clothes and went to the other bathroom downstairs to shower.

She dropped onto the tile, leaning against the door. She covered her mouth as a sob threatened to come forth. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. After finally getting her breathing back to normal, she stood up shakily and walked over to the sink and began dousing her face in cold water.

'Now he's going to know my secret and probably use it against me.' She thought as she dried her face.

She waited a few more moments before leaving the bathroom. She slowly opened the door and peeked out to see if he was still there. Sighing deeply in relief to see that he was gone, she walked into her bedroom to get dressed for the day but not before locking her bedroom door. When she came down into the kitchen, Bakura was already there making breakfast.

'I guess he does like cooking.' She mused as she went over to the higher cabinets to get a glass then moved to the fridge to pour herself some milk.

She felt eyes on her suddenly as she took a drink and she turned her head, her eyes automatically looking into Malik's. She looked down and turned away almost immediately. It didn't seem like they would be leaving anytime soon so she would just have to get used to their presence. But it wasn't going to be easy, especially after what Malik did upstairs. She was thankful for her dance class in a couple hours; that way she'd get away from him, even if for only a few hours. She was brought out of her thoughts when a plate was set in front of her where she had sat down at the small island bar in the middle of the kitchen. She looked at it strangely for a moment before a voice broke through, startling her.

"It's not poisoned.' Came Bakura's voice.

"Oh no, it's not that. I just wasn't expecting you to make me anything. I could've gotten it myself." She replied.

"Where and when is this dance class" Malik suddenly asked.

"Ummm…excuse me?" She stuttered.

"It says right here that you have a dance class. I wanna know when and where." He said, pointing to her calendar on the wall beside her fridge.

'Damn calendar.' She cursed mentally.

"It's…uh…this a-afternoon at the town's rec center. Why do you want to know?" She asked, trying to regain some of her backbone.

"Because we are going with you." He stated.

"What!" Anzu and Bakura exclaimed simultaneously.

"No one would think to look for us there and I will maintain a close watch on you." He answered.

"Who the hell am I going to tell?" She retorted angrily.

"That's precisely why. I don't' know who you associate with. And I would rather keep an eye on you than sit here and not find out until later that you've ratted us out to the police." He answered.

"But-"

His definitive glare stopped her sentence but she was fuming on the inside and was damn sure her eyes reflected it.

'Who the hell does he think he is? I mean, really?' She thought exasperatedly. 'Actually, come to think of it I don't even know his name. I know the other guy is Bakura but that's the only name I've heard between the two.'

Anzu quietly and quickly finished her breakfast then took the plate to the sink to rinse it off and she placed it in the dishwasher. Then she proceeded into the living room, bypassing the two as she went. She had some cleaning to do before her lesson and she was going to get it done regardless of them being there or not. In curiosity Malik followed her, already finished with his bit of food. She turned around, tying her hair back in a low ponytail and saw him.

"I have some cleaning to do before my lesson because I'll be too exhausted afterwards. The two of you can either help me or stay out of the way." She said before he got a word in.

"I think I'll pass on the cleaning." He said.

She nodded once then proceeded to get the vacuum from the closet along with the scented powder. She began sprinkling it over the carpet, the couches and under the coffee table. Deciding to let it sit for a few minutes, she moved to wash the windows.

"I do have a question though." He began.

"What?" She asked as she sprayed a little Windex on the glass panes and began wiping them down with the couple paper towels in her hand.

"You seem like a strong-willed girl who's obviously got some muscle on her." He absently rubbed at his stomach.

"Yes what are you getting at?" She asked as she moved onto the next window.

"I'm just wondering how someone like that can have such a panic attack the way you did." He asked.

She paused briefly in her movements then continued, not answering his question, and hoping he would let it go. But he wasn't planning to.

"Whenever I question someone, I expect an answer and you, my dear, will have no exception." He said as he walked closer to her.

Anzu took a deep breath and slowly released it.

"I really do not wish to tell you. It is not something that is widely known to those who know me." She replied.

"Oh come on now it can't be that bad." He said.

"I just have a bit of a phobia is all." She said.

"What kind of phobia?" He asked, his interest peaked now.

"Agraphobia." She replied quietly.

Malik frowned, he had not heard of that. "What does that mean?" He asked.

"Agraphobia is a fear of sexual abuse." She answered.

"I see but wouldn't you be in more of a panic than you are right now if you have that?" He asked.

"If I'm in a situation I can control then no I won't panic, but if in a situation where I'm not in control, like earlier, then I will panic." She corrected.

"Hmm that makes sense." He said.

"You're not…you're not going to use that against me are you?" She asked quietly, not looking at him.

"I don't think I will need to." He answered then went back into the kitchen.

'Doesn't think he'll need to? What does he mean by that?' She thought worriedly.

Pushing it to the back of her mind for now, she turned on the vacuum and began dragging it across the carpet, whipping all the loose particles through the machine and into the bag. When it came time for Anzu's lesson, she hoped they would just stay at the house but it seemed the fates were clearly not on her side. He seemed to think he could go with her in the room as well but she immediately squelched that before she went into the room.

"You are not allowed to come in here. Only the teachers and the students are. You can however wander around the Center. My class isn't over till five." She said.

"That's four hours from now." Bakura growled.

"That's not my fault. Blame your partner, it was his idea. Meantime, I expect you'll behave yourself in those four hours. You will be back here then or you can find your own way back to the house." She said then went into the studio, shutting the door behind her.

"Thanks a lot asshole." Bakura griped as he slapped the back of Malik's head.

"Oh shut up. I want to be in there, I don't trust her." Malik said.

"Oh please, aside from the trust issue, you only want to go in there so you can see her in a leotard." Bakura snorted.

"Well I can't say that's not part of it. How would you know that's what they are wearing?" Malik asked.

"Because I could see the other girls in the room behind her, now come on before I get bored and have to kill something." Bakura told him and began walking in another direction.

"And that won't be long." Malik added as he followed him getting a chuckle in response.

-A Few Hours Later-

"What the hell do they have in here?" Malik griped.

Bakura gave a shrug in response. They continued their trek through another hall, glancing briefly at the many paintings that hung on the walls. As Malik's gaze swept through the large room they walked into, he caught sight of two men who worked for Boss. Eyes widening in disbelief, he grabbed Bakura by his shirt collar and jerked him behind a statue to hide in the corner.

"What the fuck man?" He demanded.

"Tom and Jerry." He said.

Of course that wasn't their real names but they were called that anyway because they acted like the cartoon characters.

"What are they doing here?" Bakura muttered.

"Hell if I know." Malik replied as he looked around the corner.

"Well what are we going to do?" Bakura asked.

"Well we can't leave, not without the girl so…I guess we have to avoid them until then." Malik answered.

Cautiously, but without looking suspicious, they walked through the room to go down another hallway. When Malik looked behind him to see where they were, he noticed they were following them.

"They're trailing." He muttered to Bakura.

"What time is it?" He asked.

"Ten to four." Malik replied looking at the clock on the wall.

"Well that's just fucking great." Bakura bit out angrily.

"Calm down my friend, we've done this before. We just have to give them the runaround for about an hour. Hopefully they won't do anything stupid." Malik said as they turned a corner.

About half an hour later, Malik and Bakura were running out of places to go.

"Ok we don't really have anywhere else to go without leaving the building. "Bakura said once they walked into a restroom.

"Yeah I know. I don't know what they are here for. The only thing I can think of is that they would be checking our progress." Malik replied.

"That would make sense." Bakura agreed.

"Well it's getting closer to five so we need to start heading back to her class." Malik said they left the restroom.

They were within fifty feet of their destination when the two men approached them.

"Well now how can we help you fine gentlemen?" Malik asked mockingly.

"Boss wants to know if you've found it yet." Tom asked.

"We're getting there/" Bakura stated.

"Are you really? Sounds to me like you haven't." Jerry said.

"Well I don't' care what the fuck it sounds like to you." Malik hissed angrily.

"You better watch it bastard or you'll end up in a river." Tom spat.

"We don't use the river anymore, it's too suspicious." Bakura said.

"Good day." Malik said as they began to walk away.

"Oh Boss also said to keep a close watch on your girl. You never know where she might end up…or under." Jerry told him, grinning sadistically.

Then he and Tom left.

"What the hell?" Bakura began.

"I don't know." Malik said.

At the same time, Anzu emerged from the studio, saying bye to some of the girls and approached the two. She noticed immediately that something was off.

"What's the matter with you two?" She asked as she stood behind them.

Before either one of them could answer, multiple shots rang out causing everyone to dive out of the way. Malik grabbed Anzu and jerked her down to the floor and against the wall so she wouldn't get shot.

"Who is shooting?" came Anzu's question.

Malik shrugged in response but both he and Bakura knew who it was.

"We need to get the fuck out of here, come on!" Bakura exclaimed then took off running.

Malik and Anzu were right behind him. Anzu was glad for her smaller bag that held her dance clothes in it. Anything larger would've been harder to run with and she wasn't going to leave it behind. They got about a block from the rec center before Malik and Bakura stopped running and started walking. Anzu stopped and jerked her hand from Malik's, making him stop and turn around to face her.

"I want to know what the hell is going on and I want to know right now." She demanded.

"We don't have time for this right now." Malik exclaimed as he moved to grab her wrist.

"No!" She cried as she moved out of his reach.

"I will tell but I'm not going to here." He told her as he grabbed her tightly by the arm and began pulling her along.

As soon as they arrived in her house, Anzu jerked her arm from him once again and slapped him hard across the mouth. Bakura's eyes widened greatly, then he began to slink out of the room, muttering something abut 'she was I deep shit now.' Malik took a moment to breathe and stay…somewhat calm. Once he gained that level of control, he reached out and, grabbing her upper arms, slammed her into the wall behind her. She cried out in surprise, her forearms coming up between them as a reflexive instinct.

"Don't _ever_ do that again or you will regret it dearly. Is that **clear**?" He whispered darkly.

She nodded, the movement jerky as her body was rigid with fear.

"Now I want you to go to your room and stay there until I come and get you." He added after releasing her.

She pushed off the wall and moved around him, hurrying as fast as she could to get upstairs. Malik stayed still for a moment, taking deep breaths to calm his raging fury. He didn't understand it; no one had ever made him this angry before. He didn't know what would've caused it. Maybe the fact he kept her from getting killed, maybe the threat made by Tom and Jerry?

'No, scratch that. It _definitely_ wasn't that last one.' He scoffed.

After finally able to calm down, he went into the kitchen to see Bakura cooking.

"You know…I never pegged you as the type who liked to cook." Malik began.

"Well I did have a life before Boss." He replied.

Malik chuckled. "Didn't we all?"

"So what did you do with her?" Bakura asked.

"Sent her to her room." He replied.

"In one piece?" Bakura questioned.

"Yes, why?" Malik asked, giving him a strange look.

"Because I witnessed the aftermath from the last girl who slapped you." Bakura replied.

"Oh yeah, Bridget. That was the worst mistake she ever made. So how is she?" Malik asked mockingly.

"Still very much mental." Bakura smirked.

"Well I think I'll go nap on the couch. Call me when dinner is done." Malik said and began leaving the room.

"Will do." Bakura replied.

-

Anzu slammed the door to her room and threw herself onto her bed after disposing her bag to the floor. She picked up her pillow and screamed into it.

'God he is such a bastard and a confusing one. He won't tell me what's going on, not to mention I almost got shot today. Who were those two men they were talking to? They seemed to know them and there was a bit of hostility in the air too -sigh- I really don't understand and something tells me I don't' want to.' She thought.

She sighed deeply. She decided to take a catnap before dinner, knowing that Bakura most likely already started. She kicked off her shoes and stretched out on her bed, pulling the nearest pillow under her head. She sighed deep again, inhaling a deep, masculine scent. It took her a second to remember why it would be on there but it was calming to her so she just brushed it off and closed her eyes to sleep.

* * *

_There's some kind of light at the end  
__Stoned, forgetful and then  
__I'm drinking what used to be sin  
__And touching the edge of her skin

* * *

_


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

_And could you be the one that's not afraid  
To look me in the eyes_

* * *

- 

Almost an hour and a half later, Bakura came and woke Malik up, who in return went upstairs to get Anzu. When he got to her room, he opened the door to find her curled up on her bed, hugging a pillow tightly. With the different designs on the pillows, he recognized it as the one he had used the night before and couldn't stop the smirk from forming on his lips. He kept his footsteps light as he approached the bed. Kneeling down to be on her level, he reached out to give her shoulder a slight shake. She stirred, her eyes fluttering open. When she saw him sitting less than a foot away from her, she jerked back in slight fear, her mind replaying the day's earlier events. He chuckled slightly as he straightened.

"Hmm…I'm a little calmer now so you have nothing to worry about." He said as he looked down at her.

She slowly sat up, not completely believing him. For another time in her life, she was truly scared; she had really thought he would kill her. He had an almost murderous look in his eyes and it sent fear deep down in her core.

"I've come to tell you dinner is ready." He said then turned to leave.

"I'm…I'm sorry."

He turned to face her again.

"For hitting you." She added as she looked down.

Malik pretended to think, as he looked her over.

"You are forgiven…" He began.

Her head snapped up in surprise.

"However, don't do it again or I will not hold back." He added then turned and left, not seeing the small smile upon her face.

The meal seemed to pass by smoothly. After dinner, Anzu went upstairs to take a shower. By the time she was finished and returned to her room, Malik was already in bed and asleep. She figured he would stay awake until she got out. He was lying on his stomach with his arms folded beneath the pillow his head was resting on, the sheet down to his waist, leaving his upper body bare. She carefully got on the bed, trying not to move so much that he woke. She was surprised he didn't even stir with as alert as he was. She merely brushed it off as him being tired or something and slid in bed beside him. Lying on her side, facing him, she closed her eyes and went to sleep.

-

-

When she woke up the next morning, he still slept. This worried her now. Deciding to test her luck (again), she stood up on the bed and jumped a couple times. To her surprise, he didn't move. Thinking him tired, she decided to leave him be and went downstairs. As she expected, Bakura was in the kitchen. She thought it weird that she would expect that but she just figured she had become accustomed to their presence. Anzu got a whiff of what he was cooking and her mouth began to water.

"So where did you learn to cook?" She asked as she sat down at the island bar.

"My mother. Why do you ask?" He replied.

"I was just wondering. It is really good, a lot better than mine actually." She answered.

"I'm assuming I never want to test that right?" He asked, looking over his shoulder at her.

"No you wouldn't." She admitted sheepishly and he turned back.

"It's not like it's really bad or anything, I just know it could be better."

A silence followed briefly.

"What made you two want to do…..whatever it is that you are doing?" She asked.

He didn't reply but she suddenly felt a heavy tension in the air.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry. I was just curious as to why someone would go into a…. profession….such as yours." She added, picking her words carefully.

"It's not that. I'm surprised Malik hasn't told you to shut up yet." He replied.

"Um…he's not in the room." She told him.

He turned around, giving her a strange look as he confirmed that Malik was, in fact, not there.

"He's still sleeping. I was a bit surprised he was still asleep when I got up that I even jumped on the bed a few times and he never moved." She added.

Bakura turned back to the stove without a word. A few minutes later, he turned all the burners off, handed Anzu her plate and left the room. Frowning in confusion at his sudden move, she decided to question him when he came back down as she began eating.

Bakura went into Anzu's room and confirmed what she said to be true.

"I told him to stop." He muttered to himself as he walked over to the bed.

He picked up Malik and dragged him into the bathroom. He began to fill the tub with ice cold water. Once full, he knelt Malik by the tub and dunked his head in. Malik jerked and pushed back after a second. He looked beside him only to see Bakura glaring back at him.

"Take a shower, wake up then come downstairs and eat." Bakura said then left the room.

Malik coughed, taking a deep breath then did what he was told.

-

"Is he all right?" Anzu asked when Bakura came back in the kitchen.

"Yes, he's in the shower." He answered.

"Okay. Oh…thank you for breakfast it was very good." Anzu said.

Bakura nodded to her in response.

"Umm…I was thinking of washing some clothes, do you need yours washed?" She asked.

"No, I did it last night before bed." He replied.

"Ok guess that leaves my clothes and Malik's." She muttered to herself as she left the kitchen.

She walked up to her room and found Malik's shirt, pants and socks on the floor by the bed. She picked them up and placed them in her laundry basket. She didn't see his underwear in that pile then remembered he was in the shower and they would most likely be in the bathroom. Walking into the steamy room, she spotted them on the floor by the tub. Using another large article of clothing, she bent down and picked up the boxers. Then she went down to the basement where the laundry room was located and began filling the washer. When she picked up Malik's pants, she noticed one side seemed to be heavier than the other was. Reaching deep into the pockets, she retrieved the item. It was a small Ziploc bag containing a powdery, white substance. Her eyes widened in realization. Frowning, she put it in her pocket, deciding to ask him about it later and dropped his jeans in the wash, shutting the lid afterwards.

Anzu tried to wait as long as she could. By mid-afternoon, she could wait no longer. She went into the living room where Malik and Bakura were watching TV and stood in front of Malik, blocking his view of the screen. He rose his eyes up to meet her, glaring at her.

"Do you mind?" He asked in irritation.

Anzu smiled a bit, trying not to laugh as she pulled her arm out from behind her back, the small plastic bag in her hand.

"Is this what I think it is?" She asked.

"Give me that!" Malik exclaimed as he shot off the couch to get it.

Anzu stepped out of his reach, her face taking on a much more serious expression.

'This'll be interesting.' Bakura thought as he sat back and watched the two.

"Why are you taking this? Are you stupid? You could end up in the hospital or dead from this shit!" She continued.

"Like hell I would. What would you know anyway?" He asked as he reached for it again.

Anzu frowned, an almost saddened expression crossing her features as she stepped away again, this time leaving the room. She went into the bathroom, locking the door, before he got there.

"Open this fucking door!" He demanded, pounding his fists into the wood.

Anzu ignored him as she opened the bag and dumped the contents into the toilet. With a swift motion of her hand, a whooshing almost slurping sound was heard. All noise ceased on the other side of the door, she was almost afraid to open the door. She gathered her courage together and twisted the lock, pulling open the door. Malik stood there, leaning against the frame, blocking the doorway while glaring heatedly at her.

"I can't believe you just fucking did that. Well…actually…you know what, I do believe you just did that. What is wrong with you?" He spat.

"Funny, I should be asking you that. When I woke up this morning, I was surprised to see you still in the bed. Normally you are already up. I thought it odd so I jumped on the bed to see if you'd wake. You didn't even _move_. And I know enough about the side-effects of drugs thank you, my father died from the same shit you were taking." She answered, snapping her last comment before pushing past him and going down the hall to one of the other rooms. Malik let lose a string of curses and stomped off in the other direction.

'Hmm…maybe she can break him of his habit.' Bakura thought as he went back into the living room to watch TV.

-

Anzu decided to stay in her mock studio till dinner. She needed the time to work off her frustrations. Picking out a few random dance mixes she made, she slid them into her CD player and hit random. Closing her eyes, she let the music flow through her, her feet moving freely across the floor. She kept moving until she couldn't move anymore. She sat on the floor, staring out the window as she regained her breath and what little strength she had left. She hadn't realized she had an audience until he cleared his throat. She whipped her head around to face them.

"What is it Bakura?" She asked.

"Dinner is ready." He announced.

"Okay I'll be there in a moment." She replied.

"You're a very good dancer." He added.

Blush. "Thank you. How long were you standing there?" She asked.

"About ten or fifteen minutes before you dropped." He replied.

"Oh." She stood and wiped her face of sweat with a small hand towel as she followed him.

"Is Malik still mad at me?" she asked before they got to the dining room.

"Yes very much. That was about $500 you flushed down the toilet." He answered.

"Why would he pay that much for something that's gonna mess his life up more than it most likely is?" She asked.

"I've tried to get him to stop but he won't. Of course I never did what you did." He said.

"Why not?" She asked.

"Well I was a bit afraid he'd kill me. He nearly killed some other guy for going into his stash. I'm actually surprised he didn't kill you for what you did. I believe he has changed a bit since he met you. He's not as violent with you as he has been with other girls in the past." He told her.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well…I'll tell you later." He said when he saw Malik still in the kitchen.

Anzu laid her handtowel across her lap and picked up her fork to eat. She was well aware that Malik was glaring at her as she could feel his heated gaze nearly burning through her. Then he suddenly stood up and stormed upstairs. Anzu winced as she heard the door slam.

"I don't know if I'll make it through the night." She said.

"You'll be fine." Bakura assured her.

"Easy for you to say, you don't have to sleep in there." She said.

Bakura smiled. Anzu hurriedly finished her dinner and, after thanking Bakura, went upstairs to her room. Cautiously she opened the door and went inside. Malik was laying on his back with his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling; he still looked pretty pissed. She decided to take a shower now so she wouldn't have to in the morning. Going to her dresser, she grabbed a small shirt, shorts and a pair of underwear then went into her bathroom. She came back out in thirty minutes and Malik was now on his side, facing away from her.

'He's as bad as a girl.' She thought as she sat on the bed.

"Malik?" She called out softly.

She didn't get an answer but knew he was still awake.

"I know you're not asleep and are just ignoring me but I'm going to say what I want anyway whether you want to hear it or not. I only did what I did because I don't think you should be wasting your life with drugs. It'll only ruin your life. I watched my father struggle with it for years before he died. My mother tried to keep me from him but I didn't want to leave him. I would visit him as often as I could when I was supposed to be at the library studying. At least he had a peaceful death, in his sleep. I don't know why but I don't want to see you the same way…even though you've been a complete ass to me." She began

She still got no response.

"If not for me, I wish you would think about how it would affect Bakura. You guys are best friends whether you'd admit it or not. He wants you to quit just as much as me. I want to help you but I can't if you don't let me." She finished.

With that she turned off the light and pulled the covers over her body. But sleep didn't come easy.

-

-

"Boss we found it." Mack announced, coming into his office.

"Good work boys." He said as he took the small box from Mack.

"What do you want done with the other two?" He asked.

Boss paused, inhaling deeply from his cigar. "I want you to make their lives hell until I give you something else. Starting with the girl."

"Yes sir." Mack bowed and left with two other men.

* * *

_I swear I would collapse  
If I would tell you I think you fell  
From the sky _

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

I know I don't update as often as I should but what are you gonna do. I wasn't writing for awhile, I lost interest in it cuz I got depressed for awhile but I'm all better now. I've started a Harry Potterfic so I've been writing in that and my original lately and I just got back to this. I have one of my most loyal buddies/reviewers on here to thank for that DIS. I love you so much for your support, thanks!! I swear if I wrote for a living I'd piss off a couple people cuz I'd never make a deadline I'm going to try hard to finish this. I'm so close to it too. I just need to finish typing it and boot it to someone for an idea or two on what next to do and how to get to something I want to do. (Be prepared DIS I'm coming for you HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA)

Ok enough of that on with the chapter.

* * *

_Yeah my words they pour  
Like children to the playground  
Children to the playground  
You make me smile_

* * *

Anzu woke earlier the next morning. Malik still slumbered beside her. She carefully got off the bed, trying not to disturb him and proceeded to dress for the day. When she came downstairs to get something to eat, she was surprised to see Bakura already there. She had gotten up pretty early that morning and didn't expect him to be there. 

"Do you sleep?" She asked.

She appeared to have startled him because he nearly dropped the glass in his hand.

"What are you doing up?" He demanded as he whipped around to face her.

"I'm going to the store to get a few things." She said as she began to eat an apple.

Once she was finished, she grabbed her keys and headed towards the front door.

"Where do you think you're going?" He demanded harshly, making her stop suddenly and turn to him in surprise.

"I just told you I'm going to the store." She replied.

"Not by yourself you're not!" He exclaimed.

"Oh c'mon what's the big deal? I'm not even going to be gone that long." she protested.

"I'm going with you. Unless you want me to wake Malik for this?" He suggested.

That made her silent.

"All right fine. Just give me a minute." She griped as she went to the counter.

She pulled out a notepad and scribbled something on it.

"What's that?" He asked.

"For Malik." She replied as she went back to the front hall.

"Wait a second. You're going to need this." He said, catching her before she went out the door.

He tossed a bundle of clothing at her.

"Well this is what I was going to the store for. I can wait." She said as she handed it back.

"Fine you'll regret it." He said as he opened the door.

Anzu gasped as the frosty wind hit her bare arms. She turned back to Bakura who handed the sweatshirt to her.

"Thanks." She chattered as she jerked it on, her body instantly warming up.

They got in the car and sped off.

"Are you and Malik the same size?" She asked innocently as they entered the store.

"Well I don't know about that…" He said as he raised his eyebrows at her.

"I meant clothing smartass." She said as she punched him in the arm.

"I know what you meant. Why do you want to know?" He responded.

"Are you or not?" She replied.

"Yes." He said.

Apparently she was hiding something.

"Ok here," She began, handing him half the list. "This'll go faster if we split up. Can you go get these items and I'll go get my stuff and then we'll meet up back here?"

"Fine, just stay out of trouble." He said.

"I will." She replied, rolling her eyes at him as she walked away.

Anzu made her way towards the clothing department of the store, going into the men's section first. She shuffled quickly through the jeans, getting a few pairs in dark colors for both guys. She took a bit longer in the shirts because she wasn't quite sure what they would wear. She finally decided on a few with rock band logos on them such as KoRn, Slipknot, Atreyu and Disturbed since they seemed to be the type who would listen to that. She also grabbed a few plain, dark long-sleeved shirts as well since it was getting colder. She didn't bother with a jacket since they each already had their own.

'They probably need some underwear and socks too. May as well get that while I'm here.' She thought as she moved on.

By the time she was finished and paid for it, she had two bags of theirs and one of hers. She went back to the meeting place to find Bakura already there.

"How much shit do you need?" He retorted.

"For your information, not all of it is mine. Now c'mon, I wanna get out here." She said as she pulled the cart with her.

"Yes your highness." He saluted mockingly.

She turned to glare at him and jerked the cart as he was leaning on it, making him fall forward but he caught himself before he tripped.

--

When Malik woke up around nine, he was surprised to see that neither Anzu or Bakura were in the house. He went running into the kitchen and found a notepad on the counter. Picking it up he read its contents.

_**Malik,**_

_**had to go out for a bit, be back soon.**_

_**Anzu**_

'Did that mean Bakura was with her?' He thought.

Then he heard a car pull into the driveway. Looking out the front window he saw it to be Anzu and waited in the front hall for her.

"No you can wait." Anzu was saying as she entered the house, followed by Bakura.

Upon entering she noticed Malik standing a few feet away.

"Oh I see you're awake now." She said.

"Where did you go?" He asked.

"I needed to go to the store and since Bakura was up he insisted on going with me even thought I said I'd be fine." She answered.

"Why are you wearing my hoodie?" He blurted as if now noticing it.

"Because I was cold and had nothing else. My, you're talkative this morning." She replied with a bite in her tone.

He merely glared at her. Anzu ignored the look as she pulled the hoodie off and tossed it at him.

"I'm going to go wash these. Can you please put the rest of the stuff up? I assume you know you're way around the kitchen by now?" She said, the last directed at Bakura.

At his nod, she left the hall. Then Bakura turned to Malik.

"I know what happened to the jewel."

"Really? Do tell?" Malik said then followed him to the kitchen.

"While I was walking around the store, I overheard two of Mack's people talking. Seems they found it and it is currently in Boss' possession." He said.

"Did they say who had it?" Malik asked.

"No but they did say he was no longer among the living." He replied.

"This isn't good. He's going to murder us." Malik stated after a moment.

"What makes you think that?" Bakura asked.

Malik paused for a moment. "Because he did it to my brother."

"He killed your brother, why?"

"He messed up on a job. I mean he fucked up royally. He was supposed to spy on one of Boss' rivals and slipped up somehow. He paid for it with his life." He answered.

"Is that how you got into this?" Bakura asked.

"Kinda. I always had a knack for it, ever since I was thirteen. So after getting fed up with me stealing his stuff all the time, he decided to put it to good use and introduced me to Boss. That was ten years ago."

"Hmm…well that explains why you don't get along with Boss too much and why you try so hard not to mess up." Bakura mused.

Malik merely smiled.

"We'll need to figure out how to get around this."

"Yea I know. We need to hide until we can come up with a plan to get rid of them." Malik agreed.

"And the girl?"

"She'll have to go with us. I still don't trust her." He said.

"Hmm." Bakura nodded, knowing there was something else that lay under that.

"So how was your shopping trip?" Malik asked mockingly.

"It was fine. A little weird though because she wanted to know if we wore the same size." He answered, ignoring Malik's mockery.

Malik frowned in confusion. "Why would she want to ask that?" He asked.

"I don't know, she didn't answer me directly. She just sent me one direction while she went another. Then she came back with three bags, indicating that she already paid for them and wouldn't let me look in either of them." Bakura told him irritably.

"Well someone's going soft." Malik chuckled.

"I wouldn't talk." Bakura glared at him.

"What do you mean? I have not!" Malik exclaimed.

"Really? Let's explore that shall we?" Bakura began.

Malik rolled his eyes and sighed. 'Here we go.'

"When we came back here after that first night, instead of threatening her to the point of where she'd be scared to death of breathing wrong, you merely held her down. Then you insisted on sleeping in the same bed as her because you 'didn't trust her.' You also used that same excuse when you wanted to accompany her to her lesson. When she slapped you, you sent her to her room. The last girl who did that, you nearly beat to death. Then the last issue was when she got a hold of your drugs and flushed it. You nearly killed the last person who touched your stash. You ignored her for awhile. I could see you were holding back when any other time you would've lashed out. Have you nailed her yet?"

"No." He admitted grudgingly.

"Now see…any other girl you would've bedded by now. What's stopping you?"

"She said she's got Agraphobia." He answered.

"What the hell is that?" Bakura frowned.

"Fear of sexual abuse." He replied.

"And so you've decided to honor that now have you?" Bakura asked, raising a brow at him.

"I've never had to force myself on a woman." He said.

"Not even with…" Bakura trailed.

"No she was willing. They are always willing." He answered cockily.

"Admit it…that aside…you've been more than attracted to her since you met her." Bakura said.

"I don't have to admit anything. Besides, it's not like you're not." Malik said.

"I'm not. She reminds me a lot of my younger brother whom of which I miss dearly. That's the only reason I can handle Anzu, their spirit and personality was the same." He told him.

"Was?"

"My brother is dead at the hand of Boss. He forced me into the business by threatening my family. When I tried to get out he had them all slaughtered…while I watched." Bakura explained.

There was an awkward silence between them as Bakura finished putting everything away.

"Well I'm going to make the arrangements and tell her." Malik said as he stood.

"She said she'd be in the laundry room."

Malik made his way down the hall to the laundry room after catching the sound of the dryer. He quietly approached the open door and peered in the room. Anzu sat upon the dryer with her eyes closed and her back against the wall. He stood in front of her, looking her over for a moment. The he suddenly slammed his hands down beside her legs, making her body shoot forward and her eyes snap open in surprise. She immediately jerked back when she realized how close he stood.

"What is it?" She asked as she rubbed her eyes.

"We have to go away for awhile." He said.

"Okay." She yawned as she moved to get off the dryer when it buzzed.

"'We' meaning you as well." He added.

"Where and why do I need to go?" She asked.

"Can't tell you and because I said so." He replied.

"Right oh mighty one." She said mockingly as she tossed the clothes in the basket and began folding them into separate piles.

He smirked. Despite the way he behaved towards her, she still had that fire in her that he loved to toy with.

"Why do you need to move to another hiding spot?" She asked.

"I can't tell you that either." He said.

"You know what…until you _start_ telling me what's going on, I'm not doing anything." She replied stubbornly as she moved the clothes from the washer into the dryer.

"I really don't feel like playing games with you right now." He said, trying to keep his patience.

"That's not my problem." She said as she turned to face him.

"Would you, for once, just do as your told without question?" He asked.

She stared up at him as she thought it over, then sighed in irritation.

"Fine..._but_...I want some answers when we get wherever we're going to because I am really getting sick of all this." She stated as she jumped back up on the dryer.

"Does the vibration of that not bother you?" He asked.

"It massages my legs. They get a bit tired sometimes if I overdo it in my dancing." She responded.

"I could always do that." He smirked suggestively as he put his hands on her slightly spread knees, giving them a squeeze.

"No thanks, I'll pass." She said as she closed her legs, his hands dropping to sit beside her knees.

"Hmm your loss." He said, shrugging.

"When are you planning on leaving?" She asked.

"In the next day or so, most likely tomorrow. We still have a few things to tie up." He replied.

"I'll be ready by then. Of course I'll have to contact my instructor to let her know I'll be out." She said.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because the last time one of her girls went away for awhile and didn't tell her, she had the police looking for her. It wasn't pretty." Anzu responded as she leaned back against the wall.

"You seem to be more comfortable now considering the last time I was this close, you freaked out." He said.

"I guess I trust you a bit more thought I don't know why. Considering the way you've been acting towards me." She said.

"My attitude hasn't been that bad."

"Oh I beg to differ. You're as bad as a girl on her period sometimes." She said.

"Gee thanks." He glared at her.

She merely smiled and shrugged in response. He continued to glare at her then suddenly smirked. This confused her and made her worry. She knew it showed but before she could do or say anything, he grabbed her face between his hands and kissed her. Pushing her legs apart, he pulled her tighter against his chest. What he was about to do was easier since she was on his level while on the dryer. He slid his hand up her shirt to press on her lower back and ground into her. She gasped at the sudden intimate contact, her legs unintentionally wrapping around his. He tried sliding his hand up further but she grabbed it and stopped him. He held the back of her head tightly by her hair, sliding his tongue deep into her mouth. She knew she should stop this, that she was going to regret it but she couldn't, she didn't want to. Her hands fisted into his shirt with her legs locked at the ankle to keep him still. He knew it wouldn't be long before he got this far and the next step wouldn't be too far off. He wrapped his hand under her knee to pull her legs apart then unwound her hands from his shirt so he could break the kiss and step back. He smirked at her, lightly pinching her cheek as he stepped away and left the room. One hand went to her cheek as the other went to her lips.

'I shouldn't have let him do that.' She thought as she curled her legs against her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

The next twenty-four hours weren't going to be pretty. Malik let Anzu go to the Rec Center by herself for class and so that she could inform her instructor of her sudden absence. Anzu had parked in the lowest level of the parking garage and as she was walking back she got a sudden sinking feeling that she was being watched. A deep dreadful feeling surged through her body, making her feel cold when she saw a strange man leaning on her car. She sensed a familiarity that she hadn't felt in several years and it set off warning bells in her head, making her stop short.

"Hello Anzu, it's been quite awhile." The man said.

Anzu nearly turned tail and ran when she heard his voice but she decided to stick it out and stay.

"Hello, Mack."

* * *

_There's some kind of light at the end  
Stoned, forgetful, and then  
I'm drinking what used to be sin  
And touching the edge of her skin _

* * *

I think I may switch to another song after the next chapter but I'm not sure yet. Well please review!! 


	5. Chapter 5

**-l****aughs at DIS like Cartman from South Park-** HAHAHAHAHAHA NahNahNahNahNahNah-I stumped you! -wince at DIS- sorry I couldn't resist

This should undoubtedly answer the one question on the minds of a few of you

* * *

___It's the feeling I get  
My palms with sweat  
Like some kind of daydream  
I'll never forget_

* * *

"Bakura, has Anzu come back yet?" Malik asked. 

"No not yet. She should've been back by now. Did you try calling her cell?" He replied from the kitchen.

"No I'll do that now." He said.

Malik nearly tore his wallet apart looking for the number. He admitted to himself he was a bit worried. They were supposed to be leaving soon and she had yet to return. There was still one stop left that they had to make before reaching their destination. Finally he found the slip with the number written on it and nearly yelled out triumphantly. He picked up the house phone and dialed the number.

-

"He has no idea does he?" Mack asked, a smile playing at his lips.

"Who?" Anzu asked.

"You know very well who I'm talking about. He doesn't know about us does he? The things we used to do? Doesn't surprise me really, you've always been a deceptive bitch. I should've killed you when I had the chance. I won't now though, I've got something better planned for you that you should enjoy. At least you used to, I don't know about now but we can find out." He said as he stepped towards her.

She pushed her leg behind her to step back but they both stopped when her jacket started ringing. Anzu reached into her pocket and pulled her phone from it, placing it against her ear.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Where the hell are you?" Malik demanded.

Anzu nearly cried on the spot. Never before had she ever wished for anything more than for him to be there right now.

"Anzu?" He called impatiently.

"I'm in the parking garage, on my way to my car." She replied.

"Could you hurry up? We're running out of time." He said.

"I know, I'll be there soon." She said.

"I don't think so baby." Another voice spoke behind her.

Her eyes widened in shock, crying out when the person grabbed her arm, twisting it tight behind her back while Mack took her phone from her. On the other end, Malik narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Anzu what the hell is going on?" He yelled.

"Nothing, she'll be just fine Malik." Mack replied with a grin.

Malik nearly exploded.

"What the hell are you doing there?!" he yelled.

"Boss' orders." And with that, Mack dropped the phone to the ground, crushing it under his foot.

Mack smirked as he looked at Anzu, who had fear etched across her face. She struggled to break free as he walked up to her.

"We're gonna have fun with you." He said before she was knocked out.

-

Malik swore aloud and yelled for Bakura to grab everything they were taking as he ran out to the car they rented.

"What's going on?" Bakura demanded as he threw the stuff in the trunk.

"Macks got Anzu." He said as he threw the car in reverse and backed out the drive, gunning it down the street as soon as he put it in drive.

-

Clank!

Anzu jerked awake at the sudden sound, glancing around her wildly. She tried to move but found she wasn't able to. She realized she sat on a cold stone floor wit her arms tied above her head. Her socks and shoes were missing as was her jacket. She was clad in a tank top and a small pair of shorts. Now she really wished she hadn't taken off her leggings before she left her class. She felt very open, not knowing where she was and it frightened her. Suddenly a door swung open and a light came on, flooding the room and blinding her. Blinking rapidly, she tried to focus on the three blurred images in front of her. Someone roughly grabbed her chin and jerked her head left and right then let go. Her vision finally cleared and she recognized one of the people as Mack but the other two were unknown. Then another man came in and walked over to Mack, whispering something in his ear then left.

"Well it seems they've arrived. Let's see how much fun we can have before they find us." Mack said as he began to take off his jacket, giving the other two a look.

Then he walked up to Anzu and knelt beside her.

"Of course you know what that means don't you?" He asked her.

Blue eyes narrowed in confusion then widened in fearful realization. He smirked as he stood and unchained her from the wall, her hands still tied together.

"No...no..." she whimpered as she began to push away only to be jerked back.

"I'm afraid you have no choice. At least you're aware of what will happen, unlike those other girls who had…no…idea." He told her.

Anzu took a deep breath, forcing her next word. "No."

Mack merely pulled his hand back and brought it sharply against her cheek. She just needed to be put in her place. It had worked before in the past so why not now.

"Now…what was that?" He asked.

She turned her head back to face him, pushing against the inside of her aching cheek with her tongue.

"I said…" There was a brief pause as she took another breath. "…no…"

-

"Do you even know where you're going?" Bakura asked.

"Yes, now be quiet or we'll get caught." Malik answered roughly.

They continued to sneak through the dark halls, only pausing briefly to glance in the few rooms in the hall. They heard a faint muffled girlish scream not too far from where they presently stood. Smirking, Malik lifted the back of his sweatshirt to uncover his gun so he could easily access it if need be. Moving a little bit faster, they reached the room where the scream originated. Malik grasped the door handle and slowly turned it, effectively opening the door without a sound. Malik's eyes narrowed as a deep, angry growl threatened to come forth when he took in the scene before him. Anzu sat in the middle of three men. Her shirt had been torn down the front, revealing her breasts but keeping most of them covered. He was relieved to see her shorts still on but of course that didn't mean nothing had been done to her there. There were several bruises along her arms and legs, the worst one on her cheek, and many nasty looking cuts. He could've sworn he saw her gaze flicker to him but it was so fast he couldn't tell.

'Oh what the hell.' Malik thought as he took out his gun and shot the other two men, causing Anzu to shriek out in alarm as one of them was standing behind her.

Then he shot Mack in his knee, who yelled out painfully and dropped to the ground. Anzu scrambled to get away from him, just barely escaping his reach.

"You should've learned by now Mack that I don't like it when other people play with my toys." Malik said as he walked up to him.

Bakura slapped a hand to his forehead as soon as the words left Malik's mouth, knowing from Anzu's glare, exactly how she was going to take his statement.

"I'll get you back you bitch." Mack managed to say before Malik hit him on the back of the head, rendering him unconscious.

Malik searched Mack and found the keys to Anzu's binds. Once she was free, he pulled off his sweatshirt and gave it to her to wear.

"Are you all right?" He asked as he knelt beside her.

"I'm fine." She bit out, a little harsher than she wanted to.

"They didn't do anything…sexually did they?" He continued.

"No." She replied as she forced herself to stand.

Without warning, Malik lifted her in his arms.

"We need to hurry and I can tell you won't be able to walk, much less run." He said before she could protest then him and Bakura left the room, moving as quickly and as quietly as possible through the halls to get out of the building.

They had parked the car a good block away. Malik let Anzu walk when they were within twenty feet of it. Anzu sat in the back and slept after Malik laid out some towels. If, for some reason, they had to abandon the car, it would do them no good if any blood got on the seats. When they got to the cabin they were staying in, Malik woke Anzu so he could get her inside and tend to her injuries. Bakura followed behind them with the bags. Once they were a bit settled, Malik had Anzu take a warm, soapy bath to clean her cuts so could dress them. He gave her a bag that she had packed the night before so she would be able to get dressed when she was finished. Once she was in the bathroom, Malik went into the kitchen where Bakura was preparing dinner.

"If you are wondering why she's acting the way she is, I believe your exact words were, and I quote, 'I don't like it when other people try to play with my toys.'" Bakura told him before he could ask.

Malik recalled the moment he said those words and dropped his head in his folded arms.

"Shit."

-

Anzu sat in the tub, skimming the top of the water with her hand. She was grateful for the hot water, it was somehow keeping her…somewhat calm.

'I don't like it when other people try to play with my toys.'

Anzu angrily splashed the water with her hand.

'The bastard! I can't believe he said that. Is that all I am to him? A toy?!' She thought angrily.

She noticed her hands were beginning to get pruny and decided it was time to get out. Slowly easing herself onto the tile, Anzu wrapped the large blue fluffy towel around her body while putting another around her hair. She began getting dressed into a pair of shorts and a small T-shirt after drying off. She winced in pain as she moved towards the door. Her legs hurt the most and most likely had the majority of the bruises. When she opened the door, she was startled to see me Malik standing outside. He appeared to have been about to knock on the door. Before she could say anything, he spoke.

"If you're done, you need to come with me so I can treat you." He said then turned and went into another room a bit further down the hall from the bathroom.

Grabbing her bag, Anzu followed him. He instructed her to sit on the bed and sat in front of her. He took a cotton ball and placed it over the opening of the peroxide bottle and shook the bottle. Setting the bottle on the nightstand, he took her arm in his hand and, as gently as possible, rubbed the cotton ball on the first cut. Anzu hissed and involuntarily tried to tug her arm free. His grip became firmer and she stopped. After about thirty minutes and a few angry words, all of her cuts were now clean, bandaged and infection-free. Malik announced that Bakura had dinner ready and that they should eat before retiring to bed. Anzu nodded and moved to do just that but when her feet hit the floor, her legs stopped working and she stumbled into Malik, groaning as she fought to stay standing.

"Are you sure you're all right?" he asked, a bit of worry laced in his tone.

"I'm fine. My legs just hurt is all." She replied.

"Can you walk?" He asked.

"I don't know." She winced.

As soon as her legs began to quiver, he held her tighter to keep her from falling.

"You're not going to make it to the dining room." He stated as he set her on the bed.

"You stay in here and I'll bring you a plate." He said then left.

Bakura noticed Malik came in the kitchen alone and raised a brow I surprise.

"Did she refuse?" He asked almost mockingly.

"No," Malik glared at him. "She can't walk, something's wrong with her legs. She could barely stand." He replied as he got Anzu's plate together."

"Do you know why?" Bakura asked.

"No…but I'm going to find out later." He replied then went back down the hall.

Bakura snorted. 'He's fallen…and he doesn't even realize it.'

Malik opened the door, balancing the tray as he walked into the room. He noticed Anzu quickly flip the covers over her legs but merely pretended he didn't and set the tray in her lap. Noticing her wince, he held up the tray long enough to pull down the legs and set it back down. Anzu picked up her fork and started eating. Bakura had made a spaghetti style dinner with meatballs but instead of straight noodles it had elbow macaroni. She nearly drooled while consuming it.

"Obviously it was to your liking." He teased.

She blushed lightly as she wiped her mouth.

"I was hungry." She said.

Malik took the tray and set it on the desk by the door then, walking back to her, he ripped the bedding from her body.

"Malik!" She cried in alarm.

His eyes widened when he saw her legs. The thighs were sickly bruised. He was surprised at how bad they looked, considering there wasn't a trace of them not an hour earlier. Anzu was a bit frightened at the murderous look on his face.

"What happened in there?" He asked.

"I told you I was fine-" She began.

"Does that look like you're fucking fine?!" he exclaimed, waving his hand at her legs.

"What the hell do you care? I'm just a toy to you remember?" She snapped as she jerked the sheet and comforter over her legs.

Malik sighed and dropped onto the bed beside her, his head in his hands.

"Anzu I didn't mean to say that." He said.

"Uh-huh. I'm supposed to believe this?" She snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.

He glanced up at her and could see she was going to be difficult about this.

"I really didn't mean to say that it just…came out." He told her.

She didn't say anything but she just stared at him, her eyes narrowed in anger. Then he remembered something he'd been ignoring til now.

"How do you know Mack?" He asked.

Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment at his sudden question.

"Don't change the subject!" She exclaimed.

"Don't avoid the question!" He countered.

"Well what business is it of yours?" She asked.

"I want to know what the hell he was doing with you." He answered.

Anzu paused, not really sure if she should tell him. She hadn't thought of that part of her past in a long time, feeling it was better to just not think of it. Malik stood up, intending to leave the room until she spoke up.

"I knew him several years go when I was fourteen." She began softly.

He turned around to face her then sat beside her again.

"Ok." He said, signaling for her to continue.

"I met him through my brother. He seemed to be taken with me. He'd always ask about me, he called me and would come to see me frequently. We didn't officially start dating until I was sixteen; my brother wouldn't have allowed it until then. The next few years were somewhat of a blur. I don't remember much but there was pain, fear. My brother never knew of what Mack did to me until about a month before he was killed. He managed to hide me from Mack and everyone else before his death. He would send me a letter every other week just to keep me updated. When the letters stopped coming, I knew he'd been found out. I've been able to stay hidden since then but who knew I would run into the two of you and have to see him again." She told him, a hint of sadness in her tone.

"Who was your brother?" He asked.

"Anakin." She answered softly.

Malik's eyes widened a bit. "I knew him." He whispered.

"Did you really?" She asked, looking at him hopefully.

Malik nodded. "He was the one who taught me how to use a knife."

"He tried to teach me but I refused to learn. A lot of good that did me now." She said, smiling a bit.

They lapsed into silence for a bit.

"What happened in there?" He asked quietly.

"Oh, um…they had to sit on my legs because I kept kicking them when they were close enough. At first they would hit my legs but decided to sit on them instead. I think most of the bruising came from the pressure of them sitting on them." She explained.

"I'm going to get you an ice pack to put on your legs to help then I'm going to eat. Is there anything else you need?" He asked.

"Is there a TV or anything in here? I'm not really ready to go to sleep just yet." She asked.

"Yeah." He walked over to the nightstand and opened the drawer, extracting a remote from it.

He pushed a button on it and what she thought to be a tall dresser, against the wall to the right of the bed, opened up to reveal a TV and a VCR/DVD player.

"This is for the TV, this is for the VCR and DVD player. You just change the switch to signify which one you want. You should be able to figure out the rest since it's pretty basic." He explained as he handed the remote to her.

"Oh how nice. You're being helpful and insulting my intelligence at the same time." She said sarcastically.

Though he could she was joking from the small smile she held on her face.

"I'll be back in a couple minutes." He said as he left the room with the tray, griping about 'ungrateful women'.

He came back a few minutes later with an ice pack and a towel, carefully placing it on her legs. She winced lightly at the added pressure but was nevertheless fine. Then he helped her prop up on pillows so she could sit up comfortably. Then he left, saying he'd be back to check on her when he was through eating. Anzu sighed and leaned back into the pillows, turning her attention to the TV.

"So…" Bakura began.

Malik swallowed before answering. "Her thighs are bruised."

"Were they earlier?" Bakura asked.

"Not like they are now. This developed in less than an hour so I figure a lot of damage was done. The coloring ranges from yellow to red. She said it was from the guys who were with her…she wasn't very cooperative." Malik explained.

"So what are we going to do now?" Bakura asked.

"Well at the moment we're going to stay low key; we don't need anybody knowing we're here. We can discuss it tomorrow on what we're going to do as far as Boss and Mack. Right now I don't know, I'm going to have to think on it." He replied as he finished off his plate.

"Try not to drag her any further than she needs to be, she won't be easy to deal with if you do. You need to make her trust you. I can tell she still does somewhat but not to the extent that you want. You'll need to be patient, which we all know you're not, and work on that." Bakura told him.

"Yeah I know." Malik griped as he threw down his napkin and went in the hall.

When he got into the bedroom, he saw that Anzu was now asleep, lying on her back with some of the pillows pulled down to cushion her upper back and her neck and head. Her head was turned to the side and the remote sitting loosely in her head. She appeared to have fallen asleep watching TV seeing as it was still on to what looked like a ballet special. He grabbed a fresh pair of boxers and pants from his bag and went into the bathroom to take a shower. Thoughts of everything that had happened so far ran through his head. He knew it wouldn't be right to stay associated with her when this was all over. He didn't want her in any more danger. After they dealt with Boss and Mack, it would be best to severe all ties with her and disappear. Shutting off the water, he got out, dried off and dressed then went back into the bedroom. He carefully took the remote from her and turned off the TV, making the doors of the armoire shut and slid the remote into the nightstand. Then he drew back the blankets to retrieve the ice pack and towel from Anzu and put it in the kitchen. Then sliding beside her on the bed, he carefully snagged a pillow from Anzu and covered them both with the blankets. He turned off the lamp then rolled on his side, carefully wrapping his arms around her waist, holding her loosely against his chest. The decision he made would be painful but he thought it to be for the best.

* * *

___I'm stuck in this spin  
Why does it begin  
By touching the edge of her skin_

* * *

___ Hope you enjoyed!!  
_


	6. Chapter 6

Ok...I tried to edit it so it wouldn't bunch together, even tried using the HTML mode to put in the breaks between the lines but it just REFUSED to take it so it's gonna look like this until I can figure out why it wouldn't. I don't know why they changed this part. The way they had the editing thing before worked just fine. But anyway here's the chapter enjoy!

* * *

_There's some kind of light at the end_

_Stoned, forgetful and then_

* * *

When Anzu woke the next morning, she felt surprisingly relaxed considering the events of the day before. She stretched, rolling onto her side and glanced at the clock.

_  
12:07_

She shot up in bed in surprise when she saw the time and immediately regretted it as her legs protested against the sudden movement. She was about to get out of bed when the door opened, revealing Bakura.

"Good morning." She mumbled.

"Morning, lunch is ready." He replied a bit gruffly. "Can you walk?"

"I can try." She answered as she pulled the blankets back and carefully swung her legs over the edge.

Placing her feet on the wooden floor, she shifted her weight to her legs and stood. After a few moments she fell back onto the bed.

"I need to soak my legs in hot water so the muscles can relax and repair themselves." She said as she looked up at him with a pained expression.

"Well you can after you eat. I'll bring your plate to you." He said.

"Umm...where's Malik?" She asked.

"He's in the kitchen eating. We had some things we needed to discuss and he didn't want to bother your sleep." He answered.

"Oh okay. Could I have the ice pack as well while I eat?" She asked.

Bakura nodded and left the room. He came back a few minutes later with her food and the ice pack then went back to the kitchen.

"Have you figured out a plan yet?" He asked Malik as he sat down across from him.

"Yea but it's not one I like. We'll need to kill Boss and Mack. I read in the paper this morning that a building will be demolished in a couple weeks. We need to find a way to get them in the building, undetected and out of hearing rang of anyone then once the building is blown up, they'll no longer be a problem." He said.

"Okay if that's the plan then what's not to like?" Bakura asked.

"I'll have to use Anzu as bait." He said.

Bakura nodded.

"Of course that'll make what I want to do after that a lot easier." He continued.

Bakura frowned. "What are you talking about?" He asked.

"I have made the decision that after we deal with Boss and Mack...and anyone else who may get in the way, it would be best to not contact her ever again." Malik explained.

"Hmm...when did you make that decision?" He asked.

"Last night. I had already been thinking about it for a few days." He answered.

"Are you going to tell her?"

"Just the part about her being the bait, she doesn't need to know the other just yet." Malik said.

"Well make sure you actually tell her. She said she would be taking a hot bath to loosen the muscles in her legs when she finished eating. With the way she eats, she should be in the bath already. I would let her know now so we'll have time to prepare." Bakura suggested.

Malik nodded in agreement.

-About an hour later-

Anzu looked back and forth at Malik and Bakura, her expression was of disbelief.

"You want to use me as bait?" She asked slowly.

Both nodded.

"What makes you think this'll work?" She asked.

"Because we know Mack and how he thinks." Malik told her.

"I thought I knew him too and look where that got me. He killed my brother and he nearly killed me. I don't want to go through that again." She protested.

"Well it's not like we have much of a choice here Anzu. It's either this or we stay in hiding the rest of our lives. Is that what you want? To stay low like a fucking dog, hoping her never finds you?" Malik asked.

"Well no...I don't." She replied.

"Then this is what we'll do." He said.

Anzu nodded shortly, looking very defeated.

"I'm sorry Anzu but this is all we got. Unless you've got something better?" He asked.

She shook her head negatively.

"Then it's settled." Bakura said.

Anzu sighed and sunk into the couch.

"Will your legs be healed by then?" He asked.

"They should be. I just need to exercise them at the same time." She answered.

"Exercise them how?" Malik asked.

"Stretching, a few simple dance routines, maybe a run if you feel obliged enough to let me in the backyard." She said.

Malik glared half-assed at her and she merely gave him a fake sweet smile in return.

'The sexual tension is getting thick.' Bakura thought as he witnessed the exchange between the two.

He slowly slid out of the room to let the two deal with each other.

"There's no need to act like a smartass." He said.

"And there's no need to act like a jackass." She fired back.

"You're just full of it today aren't you?" He asked.

"Well considering what I've been going through the last couple weeks I think I'm entitled." She responded.

"I will let you go outside but only if one of us is with you." He said.

"Fine." She agreed.

A few minutes later and Malik found himself on the back porch watching Anzu walk and jog around the backyard. Since he couldn't do any drugs, he had to resort to cigarettes to keep his nerves calm. Though, judging from the look that Anzu had given him, he would need to find something else soon. Anzu jogged around for about fifteen more minutes before coming over to the porch and sitting beside Malik.

"How's it going?" He asked.

"It hurts but this is the only way to keep the strength up in my legs. The bruising is starting to go to a reddish color which means it's healing so that's good. I had to doa round of stretches then try a routine before calling it quits for the day." She replied

"Do you need any help?" He asked, immediately wondering why the hell he did.

Anzu thought for a moment. "A little bit with my stretching and then I'll need to be spotted during my routine so I don't hurt myself anymore than I already have."

He nodded, taking a long drag from his cigarette.

"Can you please put that out?" She asked.

"This is the only one I've had." He protested.

"No it's not, this is your third. Don't think I haven't been paying attention. Why don't you just chew gum or something?" She asked.

"Because it doesn't help!" He snapped.

Anzu flinched at his sharp tone.

"I'm sorry, I'm very uneasy right now." He apologized.

Anzu nodded, obviously accepting his apology. Malik looked at his watch, seeing that it was one o'clock.

"Do you wanna eat now or after you finish for the day? It's one." He asked as he looked at her.

"I'll eat something small. I don't want to risk throwing it back up." She replied as she blankly stared at the grass.

"C'mon in then." He said as he stood up and put out his half-lit cigarette, saving it for later.

They walked into the house, Anzu going first, and stopped in the kitchen where she proceeded to chomp on an apple.

"What exactly are you going to be doing?" Malik asked.

"I'm going to stretch first, mainly my legs then I'm going to do a short routine." She replied.

She looked around the living room as they entered it, judging the size. Bakura was sitting on the couch.

"I just need the furniture moved out of the way." She said as she looked at the two expectantly.

Bakura gave her a 'I-don't-believe-you' look then got off the couch. She smiled as she left the room to retrieve a CD. In silence the two moved the couch, the chairs, the coffee table and rolled up the rug.

"And just how far, exactly, have you gotten with her?" Bakura asked quietly.

"I've kissed her." He replied.

"That's it?" Bakura asked.

Malik glared at him.

"Shut the fuck up." He growled out.

"Take it outside please." Anzu said as she came back in the living room.

She went to the stereo and put the CD in, pushing play. Bakura left the room to check on other things. She sat down in the middle of the floor and spread her legs about two feet apart.

"Can you come push on my back?" She asked as she leaned forward then added a 'be careful'.

He nodded as he stepped up and knelt behind her, using his hands to slowly push against her back to move her top half forward.

"Okay hold it there for a minute." She said.

He mentally counted to sixty then let off. She straightened then leaned over her left leg stretching to stretch the muscles in her right leg for thirty seconds then  
switched. She repeated the process four more time then sat up. She clasped her hands behind her back and pulled to stretch her shoulders. After about five, maybe ten minutes of stretching Anzu was ready.

"Umm...could you just watch me? If I look like I'm forcing myself, make me stop so I don't hurt myself or I'll just keep going." She requested.

Malik nodded and walked over to the hall, that lead to the kitchen, where they pushed the couch while Anzu switched CD's. He had never seen her dance before but Bakura had told him she was very good. As he watched her, he noticed her movements seemed a little shaky but knew it was because of her legs. Other than that she had talent. He could see that her legs were beginning to tire and nearly smiled at the look of determination on her face, the pride that shore in her eyes. He came up behind her just as her legs gave out and caught her before she hit the ground.

"I think that's enough for today." He said, looking down at her.

Nodding her head, she agreed. Using him for support they made their way to the kitchen.

-

Over the next few days Malik and Bakura planned out how they were going to get Boss and Mack into the building. They were going to tell them that they wanted to give up Anzu in exchange to keep their lives. Malik really hoped they would buy it. Bakura contacted an old buddy of theirs that dealt in explosives to get half a crate of C-4. strategically placed, it would ensure that the two couldn't escape. Bakura left it to Malik to tell Anzu.

"Do you think it'll work?" Anzu asked as she and Malik lay in bed together.

"I don't know. I hope it will." He said.

"If Mack is still that same as I remember, then it should." Anzu said.

She sighed as she slid down the bed to lay on her back the turned onto her side facing him, coming several inches from cuddling into him. She was scared, afraid they would fail.

"Don't worry, everything will be all right." He said.

"I know but it's hard." She said.

"All we gotta do is concentrate and play it through as if it were real." He said as he ran his fingers through her hair.

Her eyes fluttered half down as she relaxed.

* * *

_I'm drinking what used to be sin_

_And touching the edge of her skin_

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

So for this chapter I decided to go with the first verse and the second verse-bridge from Blue October's _Calling You_ because I thought that they fit in the most and with the story coming to a close soon [I think two more chapters after this, maybe three depending where it goes] I thought it best to just use part of a song instead of one whole song spread across the story like I did with the first six chapters. I know it took a long time for me to post this but there were many things that prevented me from posting sooner, writer's block being the major factor. But I managed to punch it out finally along with another chapter for my Iunyasha story _Into The Night._ Hope you will enjoy the chapter and please tell me what you think. I have no idea when I'll post the next chapter. It really depends on how well it flows out. Sometimes I just don't feel like writing for days because it won't come out right and I can't put something out that I'm not happy with.

* * *

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*_

_There's something that I can't quite explain_

_I'm so in love with you, you'll never take that away_

_And if I've said a hundred times before, expect a thousand more_

_You'll never take that away_

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*_

"Anzu I'm only going to do this to keep up the circulation, that's it. Quit flinching and squirming."

Anzu crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. She couldn't help but flinch as every touch triggered a negative reaction in her body. She willed herself to relax, feeling her phobia trying to surface.

'He's only trying to help, nothing else.' She though, repeating it over and over until it became a sort of mantra. 'I trust him.'

When she finally held belief in that trust, her body stopped flinching and she could relax as Malik massaged her legs. It had been a week since they came to the cabin and her legs were nearly healed. In a few more days, they would be completely healed. Sighing contentedly, she laid her head against the cushions of the couch and watched him knead her muscles like dough. Tension began to leave her body and soon she was drifting off to sleep.

_**Sitting on the cold stone floor, Anzu waited. What she was waiting for, she hadn't a clue. But still she waited…waited.**_

"_**Anzu?"**_

_**Hearing her name, she turned around to see Malik. Smiling she stood up and ran to him, jumping into his arms.**_

"_**You're here." She said happily.**_

_**Her smile however dropped when he didn't return it.**_

"_**What's the matter?" She asked.**_

"_**I'm sorry." He replied as his face took on a pained expression.**_

_**Anzu frowned. "For what? Why are you sorry?"**_

"_**I'm sorry." He repeated as he stepped back, fading in the wind.**_

"_**Malik?! Where are you?" She yelled.**_

"_**He can't mean to leave me? He can't leave me. I-" Anzu paused. **__'Do I love him? It's too early to tell isn't it?'_

_**The thought of Malik leaving made Anzu's heart lurch; the warmth she felt had now been replaced by a fearful coldness that drenched her entire body.**_

Anzu jerked awake only to find herself alone. Panic gripped her heart and she moved to get up, to find him. She went to the kitchen to see if Bakura knew where he was but he wasn't there. Frowning, she went to the back room but neither of them were there. She listened for any sound but only silence returned. A new kind of fear began to take over her and she couldn't stop it. Dropping against the couch, Anzu wrapped her arms around her body, tightly hugging herself. After a few minutes she began to scour the entire cabin once again.

Once again she found nothing.

However, when she walked into the kitchen, she noticed a piece of paper on the counter. She could swear it wasn't there before. Reaching out she plucked from the countertop and read it.

_Dear Anzu,_

_We stepped out for a bit to restock the cabin. Be back soon._

_Bakura_

_PS: Malik says not to leave the cabin until we come back_

Anzu felt the pressure lift off her chest, her breath coming into her lungs easier. They hadn't left her, they would be back. Crumbling the paper in her hand, she tossed it into the garbage can beside the refrigerator. Leaning against the counter, Anzu took a deep breath to calm down. She couldn't believe herself. Here she was freaking out over something minor, something minuscule. And she wasn't even sure if he felt the same. Sure he acted like it sometimes but who knew if it was for real. She knew men like him, pretending to be something they're not just to get what they want. She didn't want to get hurt again but she couldn't ignore her heart.

'This is silly.' She thought. 'I can't be falling for him.'

Anzu bit her lower lip, her brow knitted together as her mind tried to deny what her heart said. But the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. When she was with him, she felt safe despite the fact he made his living as a thief. He was harsh, crude, and violent at times, yet none of that mattered. He hadn't hurt her. Even after all that she'd said or done, he hadn't laid a harmful hand on her. He came to her rescue when Mack kidnapped her. They could've left her to die and went on with their lives but they didn't. She began to see a slow change in his behavior towards her. He was nicer, he didn't push her to do something she didn't want to whereas in the beginning, he would've; even possibly resorting to force in order to get it done. It made her afraid but at the same time curious. She wanted to see it progress further but was afraid her insecurities would hold her back. Her relationship with Mack took a long time to get over. The mental, physical, and emotional abuse affected her on an intense level. Getting through the past few years had been hard, very hard.

Shaking her head to rid her thoughts, Anzu walked into the living room. After moving the rug and coffee table to the couch, that now sat against the wall, she plopped to the floor and began her stretching routine.

-

"Are you sure we got everything?" Malik asked.

Bakura nodded as he closed the trunk of the car.

"I had Anzu check over it twice yesterday."

"Okay, I guess we'll head back then." Malik said as they piled into the car.

"I'll be glad when this is over." He added a few moments later.

"You'll be glad?! I'm sick of dealing with the two of you. I'll tell you one thing. Anzu is _not_ pleasant during her week." Bakura griped.

Malik shivered at that memory. He thought he'd seen her angry before but not like she was last week. She actually kicked him out of the room, forcing him to sleep on the couch. That, in turn, made him cranky. The couch was not made to be slept on.

"Remind me not to make her angry during then."

A few more silent moments passed when Malik cursed low and took a sharp turn.

"What the hell man?!" Bakura yelled, clinging to the dashboard for dear life.

"Mack. End of the sidewalk, go follow him. I'll drop the food off and come back." Malik replied as he shoved Bakura out of the car.

"All right, I'm going. Hurry up." He said as he shut the door.

Bakura sighed as he looked down the street. Seeing Mack slip around the corner, he jogged after him, tying his hair back and flipping up his hood. Mack wasn't hard to follow. Apparently the leg Malik shot hadn't healed right. Most likely because of Boss. They walked about two blocks before Mack stopped and entered what looked to be a closed down store. Bakura waited several minutes before walking past the building, mentally jotting down the address. He continued to walk around the block until Malik showed up with the car.

"Well?" Malik asked.

"He went into an old florist shop. It's closed down. I noticed he had a bit of a limp. Seems the gun wound hasn't healed."

Malik chuckled darkly. "Serves him right."

Bakura gave him a strange look but ignored the comment for now.

"So what should we do now?" Malik asked.

"Well I noticed a few gangs of young kids in the area. Perhaps we can persuade one to deliver a message?" Bakura answered.

"Sounds good to me." Malik said. "There's some scrap paper and a pen I think in the glove department."

Bakura fished around for the items, finding them after a moment. There were a couple pieces of paper and a dull pencil that had no eraser. Using one sheet of paper, they sketched out their plan then transferred it to the other paper. Once done, they parked the car and approached the nearest group.

"Hey man, you lost or something?" one of them asked.

"No dear boy. I am never lost as long as someone's entrails lead the way." Bakura replied with a dark smirk.

Malik snorted at the boys expressions. Clearly, they were new to this.

"Let's just cut to the chase. We'll give you a hundred dollars if you deliver a message to an associate of ours." Malik cut in.

"Sure."

Bakura handed him the note, threatening his life if he read it, and gave him the address with the promise of the money when he returned. The boy ran off as fast as possible.

"You know, I do miss getting the newbies to do my little odd jobs." Bakura quipped.

Malik laughed.

Ten minutes passed before the boy returned.

"He said okay."

Bakura nodded and gave him the money owed then him and Malik went back to the cabin. Later that evening, the three of them sat around the small dining table.

"We found Mack today and let him know of our plan." Malik told her.

"And?" Anzu cast a worried glance.

"He has agreed."

Anzu nodded. Her nerves showed on her face and she knew it.

"However, we do have an advantage." Bakura began.

She looked up at him with a confused frown.

"We went to the building for a thorough walkthrough before talking to Mack. The place that we are putting you has a hidden door that leads to the outside. Our plan is that once the two of them come in, when distracted enough, we will jump them and chain them to the building. Now the spot where we will do that is well hidden from view. If they are discovered, it will be too late." Bakura said.

Anzu nodded, her worry still evident on her face.

"Don't worry too much," Malik smiled at her. "Everything will go according to plan."

Anzu smiled back, trying her best to seem at ease. But she would be nervous until it was over and possibly not even then. So much rode on the success of this and it was hard to stay optimistic. But she would try. For him.

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*_

_You take away the old, show me the new_

_And I feel like I can fly when I stand next to you_

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*_


	8. Chapter 8

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*_

_Hold and speak to me  
Of love without a sound  
Tell me you will live through this__  
And I will die for you__  
_

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*_

Anzu sighed. Her nerves were greatly rattled. Tomorrow would be the day they would end this mess. Even after all the reassurances she had been given, she still felt nervous, a foreboding settling deep within her stomach that refused to leave. Something unplanned would happen. Sighing again, she lifted the teapot from the stove, turning it off, and poured the hot liquid into three cups. Dropping a tea bag into each cup, she picked up two of the cups and brought them out to Malik and Bakura, who were sitting on the porch steps in the backyard. They were speaking animatedly about the plan for tomorrow. Heading back into the house, Anzu grabbed her own cup of tea and sat down at the table, letting her thoughts distract her once again. If they succeeded, everyone could restore their lives to their previous state, as if nothing ever happened. If they failed...

Anzu felt the blood drain from her face.

She didn't want to think about that outcome. They were so ready for this to be over. She knew Malik and Bakura wanted it to end more than anything. They would probably leave as well. Her heart wrenched painfully at that thought. Despite how everything started, she had become used to the two guys. Bakura, despite his quiet yet frightening demeanor at times, became easy to talk when Malik got on her nerves. He gave her useful advice on how to deal with the short tempered blonde and he was a wonderful cook. She'd miss the food and the talks.

Malik, on the other hand...

Anzu frowned. Her feelings towards him, romantic or not, were still undecided. He could be infuriating at times but it was usually because his stress would get the best of him and he'd blow up. She learned to stop taking it personal and step back long enough to let him cool down. But other times he would pull her into an argument for the sake of an argument, just to get her riled up. A couple occasions occurred when he would tease a bit too much and she would get so flustered and upset that it seemed nothing would calm her down until he kissed her. The first time he did it in the middle of an argument shocked her into silence so bad he thought she might pass out from it. Until her eyes narrowed and she reeled back at him for kissing her without permission. The second time had a less violent reaction. Anzu merely blushed and clapped a hand over her mouth then she ran upstairs to her room but not before hitting him in the shoulder on her way past. They flirted constantly, often without realizing it. Though the last few weeks they started to get more touchy-feely with one another but only at night before bed. Nothing sexual. Mostly they would kiss or he would hold her as they went to sleep with his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, his hand threaded in hers. Though she happily welcomed the attention, it confused her to no end as to where it would go. She was scared to death of losing him, knowing that her feeling of dread centered around him and Bakura.

The sound of the door shutting startled her and tea sloshed over the edge of the cup, landing on the saucer. Frowning, she stood and got a paper towel to wipe up the mess. Putting a smile on her face, she greeted Malik and Bakura as they walked in. Bakura headed to the stove where the meat for dinner was cooking and pulled it out.

"Are you ready for tomorrow?" Malik asked as he sat across from her spot.

"As ready as I'll ever be." She responded after getting a glass of juice to replace her tea then took her seat.

Anzu brushed her hair from her face and took a drink. Two plates were set on the table then Bakura left the room with his.

Anzu frowned. "What's going on?"

"I can tell something is still bothering you, though you say otherwise." Malik told her.

She scrunched her face up in annoyance. It was too easy for him to read her.

"It's nothing...really, just something silly." She said as she began eating.

Malik arched a brow as he also began eating.

"You're too quiet, it bothers me. What is your problem?" He asked.

"It's just a nagging feeling is all."

"Like what?" He frowned.

"It's nothing to worry about, honestly." She insisted.

"If it's nothing then why are you obsessing over it?" He asked.

Anzu swallowed her last bite and stood up from the table. Dropping her plate off in the sink, she left the room. Growling lightly to himself, Malik finished the remainder of his dinner and followed after her.

"I'm not through with you." He snapped as he entered the room.

He stopped short when he saw Anzu lying face down on the bed, her shoulders giving a slight shake. Closing the door behind him, he pulled off his jacket and shoes and stretched out beside her.

"Anzu what is it?"

She didn't answer. He laid a hand on her back, rubbing soothing circles. She turned to him, cradling into his chest and continued to cry. One arm slid beneath her to wrap around her back while he laid the other along the length of her spine to cradle her head with his hand. After a few moments, she settled down.

"Now that you've soaked my shirt through, you have to tell me what's wrong. I don't think there's any other way of getting over this." He said with a grimace.

Anzu giggled. He wasn't sure what he said that made her laugh but at least she stopped crying.

"Now what is it?" He repeated.

She hesitated at first but knew that he would continue to pester her until she spoke so she did.

"I just have a really bad feeling about tomorrow." She whispered.

"That's it?" He asked before he could stop himself.

Anzu snapped her head up to glare at him. "That's it? That's it?! Of course that's it!" She exclaimed as she stood up to lean over him, hands on her hips.

"Now just a minute-"

"Here I am worried something might happen to one of you and all you can say is 'that's it?'!" She continued, her eyes tearing up again.

"Anzu let me-"

"I'm scared to death of losing you!"

Silence fell over the room at her words. Shock appeared on Malik's face but was quickly replaced by a smirk.

"Aw you're worried about me?" He said.

Anzu glared at him.

"Then you have the nerve to do that." She muttered as she picked up a pillow and smacked him with it before dropping off the bed to head out the door.

"Anzu, come on. I was just kidding." He said as he reached out and grabbed the back of her shirt to pull her back.

"Let go." She bit out.

Ignoring her, he yanked her backwards into his arms, wrapping them tight around her to keep her from moving.

"I'm sorry, ok?"

She didn't respond. Smirking to himself, he lowered his mouth down to her shoulder and trailed his tongue alongside her bra strap. Coming to the top of her shoulder, he began to place light kisses as he moved to her neck. Trailing upwards, he came to a rest at her ear.

"You know you can't stay mad at me." He whispered, his voice dropping in tone.

Anzu's body gave a slight jerk and she shook her head as if to erase the reverberance of his voice in her ear. Malik blew lightly into her ear. Anzu stifled a moan, her arm involuntarily jerking from his grasp. He snickered in silent. He slid his arm from her waist, his fingers grazing the skin of her stomach that peeked out from under her shirt.

"How are your legs?" He asked.

"T-they're f-fine." Anzu cleared her throat. "I can walk around fine now."

He smirked. She had become flustered now. He knew if he continued any further she would start to panic so he let her go.

"You know I was only picking, right?" He asked as he turned her around to straddle his lap.

"Yes, even though it wasn't funny." She said.

He smiled. "We appreciate the concern Anzu but don't worry. Everything will be fine." He told her.

"I'll still worry." She whispered, her brow creasing.

"Yeah I know." He replied, leaning forward to put his forehead against hers.

He watched her eyes close, her fingers tightening around his as they rested in her lap. Untangling their fingers, he raised his hands to her neck, his fingers winding in her hair as his thumbs rested against her cheeks. Her eyes opened then, staring directly into his eyes. The fear still lie within and he knew nothing would make it go away until tomorrow ended with the three of them walking away in one piece. She moved suddenly, her mouth closing over his with almost a sense of urgency. Her hands moved up to mirror his own as she pushed him back on the bed. He let go of her head and closed his hands around her hips in an effort to keep her balanced. The act was sudden and surprising. And not good. He realized now why she was so upset and it hurt deeply. She had become too attached to him. What made it even worse was that he felt the same but couldn't tell her that. She slid off him and laid beside him, her head resting on his chest with her arm looped over his waist. Within moments she fell asleep. Malik continued to stare at the ceiling, his fingers running absently through her hair as his thoughts took most of his concentration.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning came quickly and certainly unwanted. They moved silently around the house, getting ready for what was to come. In the car they made sure Anzu knew her role through and through. They couldn't afford any mishaps. Arriving at the location, they set to work quickly and in silence.

The plan they set up was simple. They would leave Anzu sitting alone in the middle of the largest part of the abandoned building, seemingly chained to a pole. Dirt had been rubbed on her face, arms and legs to look as if she'd been roughed up a bit prior to the arrival of Mack and Boss. Anzu sighed deep as she tried to remain calm. However, any such resolve flew out the window, so to speak, when Mack and Boss showed.

"Hope you've enjoyed your life so far, dear. It will end when I'm through with you." Mack promised.

'I hope the same for you, you bastard!' She thought angrily.

Anzu shifted slightly in discomfort. The hard ground started to hurt and she wondered when Malik and Bakura would show.

"It seems they've left you for dead, girl." Boss finally spoke.

Anzu said nothing only shrieking out as blood splattered across her front and Boss fell to the ground dead. Mack whipped around, his gun pointing ahead of him only to stare down the barrel of another.

"Did you really think we'd pass up the opportunity to finally rid be rid of you?" Malik asked as he slowly approached Mack.

Mack shifted the gun to his left hand and jerked his right arm. Anzu gasped as he pressed the barrel of another gun against her head.

"Put down the gun or she dies."

Anzu whimpered as he pushed harder against her temple. Malik hesitated for a moment. This certainly was unexpected. Mack never before carried back-up, never believing he'd need it. He would choose today of all days to start. Malik held up his hands and dropped the gun, kicking it over to Mack. Anzu began to shake. She knew something would happen. She just knew it!

"You were always such a fool Malik." Mack said as he cocked the gun in his left hand.

His right hand faltered, the gun lowered from Anzu's temple, and he leveled the gun in his other hand at Malik's chest. Anzu tore herself from the pipe, diving for the gun Malik discarded.

Two shots rang out.

Both men fell to the ground.

"Malik!" She cried as she ripped the remainder of her binds from her wrists.

Standing up, she ran over to him and dropped beside him. Blood gushed from his chest. She quickly pulled her jacket off and pressed it against the wound to stop the bleeding. He groaned out at the pressure, the only sign of life from him. She nearly cried. She had to get them out and had no idea where Bakura was as he set up the bomb.

"Malik, please get up!!" She begged.

He shifted, as if trying to sit up. Anzu wrapped an arm around his back and rose him into a sitting position, tying the sleeves of her jacket around him to keep the compression on the wound. It was a struggle but she managed to stand with him and started to walk towards the hidden door, supporting Malik's weight as he tried to move with her. Pushing open the door, the two of them stumbled out into the sun. Anzu looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Bakura but he, still, was nowhere in sight. Adjusting her hold on Malik, she continued on.

'Get away from the building. Get away from the building.' This thought became her mantra as she struggled to move faster.

Finally, after what felt like hours, she spotted Bakura coming around the side of the building.

"Bakura!"

His white hair whipped around his shoulders as he quickly turned his head. His eyes widened when he saw Anzu trying to carry Malik, who was virtually unresponsive. He ran over and took the semi-unconscious man from her, relieving her aching shoulders and back.

"What happened?" He asked as they got back to the car.

"Mack came with a back-up gun and forced Malik to surrender his gun. I managed to break from my bonds to get the discarded gun and shoot Mack before he shot him again." Anzu rushed out.

"He's losing a lot of blood. Stay here and keep your hand pressed to the wound. I have to finish the job." He said and ran back towards the building.

Anzu climbed into the backseat with Malik and pressed down on the make shift wrap. She gnawed on her bottom lip as she watched his face anxiously, hoping against hope that he would open his eyes and say "just kidding". But he didn't. He remained motionless, except for the movement of his chest from his labored breathing.

Bakura returned several minutes later and told her to start the car and drive. Reaching down to the floorboard, he pulled up a first aid kit. Opening it up, he pulled out all the necessary tools. He removed the jacket and opened the peroxide, pouring half the bottle onto the hole. Malik cried out, his hand shooting out to grab the back of the passenger seat. Ignoring the cries and protests, Bakura put his hand to Malik's chest and inserted the large, narrow tipped tweezers into the hole. Malik's sharp cry turned into a deep, agonized groan. Anzu had to force herself to keep her eyes on the road but hearing him made it hard to do so. She saw a cloud of smoke in the distance through the rear view mirror and knew it had been the building.

After several terrorizing moments, Bakura finally pulled the bullet and poured the rest of the peroxide onto the wound, quickly moving to sew up the wound and get the bleeding to stop. By the time he finished, Malik passed out. But the bleeding had stopped and that was all that mattered. Not enough had been lost to ensure a trip to the hospital which they had wanted to avoid. Night had fallen by the time they reached Anzu's house, granting them the cover of darkness as they carried Malik into the house. Anzu said to put him in her room and she would watch him. She and Bakura took turns showering so that one could keep an eye on Malik. She accepted his offer for dinner without so much as a glance in his direction and he headed downstairs.

Silence.

Stillness.

Each moment that passed with no noise or movement cut like a knife. She could hardly stand it. She still expected him to just sit up and be fine.

But she knew he wasn't just fine. He nearly died. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill down her cheeks. Thunder rolled in the distance but the storm moved quickly and soon a downpour began. Bakura returned again with her meal. Setting the tray on the nightstand, he stood behind her.

"He will pull through." He whispered to her.

"I know, I just-" Anzu bit her lip, trying to control her emotions. "Seeing him like this just seems unnatural."

Bakura nodded his head, even though she couldn't see him.

"Did you set aside something for him when he wakes?" She asked after a few silent moments.

"Yes I did. You should eat as well while he is resting." He told her.

"I don't know if I can." She said as she looked at the plate.

She was hungry, having not eaten much that morning due to her nerves.

"Take this time to recoup yourself. You will need your strength." He reminded her.

Anzu sniffed. Reaching to her nightstand, she plucked a tissue and blew her nose. Then she decided to tackle the task of eating to replenish.

"I will be back in a moment with some painkillers for him. He will need it before he eats." He said then left the room with her now empty plate.

Sighing quietly, Anzu stood and carefully slid into bed beside him. She took his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together. By the time Bakura returned, Anzu had fallen fast asleep beside Malik.

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*_

_Cast me not away  
Say you'll be with me  
For I know  
I cannot bear it all alone_

_~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*_


	9. Chapter 9

_I'm sober now for 3 whole months,  
It's one accomplishment that you helped me with  
The one thing that always tore us apart  
Is the one thing I won't touch again  
In a sick way I want to thank you  
For holding my head up late at night  
While I was busy waging wars on myself,  
You were trying to stop the fight_

_You never doubted my warped opinions  
On things like suicidal hate  
You made me compliment myself  
When it was way too hard to take  
So I'll drive so fucking far away  
That I never cross your mind  
And do whatever it takes in your heart to leave me behind_

* * *

_**It was dark and cold.**_

_**He knew not of the place he stood. Rain fell down around him, soaking him to the bone. A bag rested on the ground beside him. He recognized it as his own. Then a house appeared before him. This house he knew.**_

_**It belonged to Anzu.**_

_**He could see her through the window, dancing around the living room, a smile lit up her face. He smiled at seeing her happy, something he'd not seen much of in awhile. She had a reason to smile now. No one would ever bother her again on account of him. They had faced their enemies together and defeated them. Now it was time to say goodbye. He didn't want anyone to hurt her again just because she associated with him. The best thing for him to do now would be to leave and never come back. She would be heartbroken but in time she would heal and move on.**_

_'She will never heal.'_

_**Malik frowned as he looked around. He heard the whispered voice but saw no one.**_

_'She will never be happy.'_

_**A body materialized before him, making him jump back in surprise. There before him stood Anakin. **_

_'You will break her if you leave.'_

Malik woke violently, his movement jarring his shoulder and he grimaced. Something heavy lay on his other shoulder and he looked down, his grimace falling immediately. Her head lay on his shoulder while her hand rested on his stomach. He recognized the room to be her own in her house.

When did they get back here?

He tried to sit up but Anzu and his injured shoulder made it difficult. The girl could be a heavy sleeper when she wanted to be. Somehow, he managed to wiggle out from under her without waking her or causing himself pain from his shoulder. He spotted a glass of water and some pills on the nightstand and picked them up, swallowing the pills as he chased them with the water. Relief wouldn't be immediate but at least it would come. He stood from the bed and walked to the closet where he pulled out a pair of jeans to put on then left the room in search of food. A couple hours passed and he found himself going back to bed, barely making it before passing out from exhaustion.

When Anzu woke, her body was relaxed. The most relaxed it's been in a long time. A smile spread across her face when she saw Malik in bed beside her, snoring softly. The medication they had given him was one she had used not too long ago when she tore a muscle in her leg and had surgery to repair it. It would keep him asleep for a good portion of the day, giving his shoulder time to heal and his body some much needed rest. Soon a frown replaced the smile as reality sunk in. They had come together by an unfortunate meeting and banded together to defeat a common enemy. Intimate touches, words and looks had been shared throughout the whole ordeal, however, Anzu couldn't help but wonder what would happen now. She knew where he stood with her, and though she desperately needed him, she wasn't sure if she stood in the same place with him.

Time hadn't been greatly available in past few weeks.

Sighing deeply, Anzu forced herself from bed and proceeded to dress for the day. She had class in about an hour and she knew if she didn't show her face soon, her teacher would send out the cavalry. A small smile appeared on her lips once more as she thought about her teacher. Despite her forceful and rough nature, the woman could be very kind and caring. Anzu had been grateful for such a teacher. Sparing once last glance at Malik, she left the room.

A few days passed before Malik finally came to the decision that he would leave. But he had to wait until the other two weren't in the house. Bakura would try to talk him out of it, that he knew for sure and he couldn't bear to tell Anzu directly. It was a coward's way out but he knew nothing else.

To even think of staying, and pursuing anything further with her, trapped him in fear and he did what he always did when scared.

He ran.

That night she came to him with more on her mind than sleeping and he let her take him over. He let himself pretend he wasn't leaving and that when she woke he would be there. Yet as soon as it ended and she fell asleep, he got out of bed and dressed. He watched her sleep for several minutes before gathering his bag from under the bed. He pulled two envelopes from the bag and set one of them on the nightstand. Placing a light kiss on her forehead, he left the room. He went into the kitchen, where he left the second envelope and quietly left the house.

Once his feet hit the sidewalk, he started running. He got five miles from the house before he stopped, leaning on a bus stop sign to catch his breath. Twilight had barely begun, letting him know it would be a few more hours before sunrise, giving him plenty of time to put as much distance between him and the house as he could.

_'I love you.'_

His heart clenched and he bit his bottom lip as her words came back to him like a slap in the face. He blinked back the tears that threatened to fall as he dropped onto the bench, cradling his head in his hands.

* * *

_Hate me today  
Hate me tomorrow  
Hate me for all the things I didn't do for you  
Hate me in ways, yeah...  
yeah ways hard to swallow  
Hate me so you can finally see  
what's good for you_

* * *

Ok.

I know this **really** short chapter is not much of an excuse for my long absence with this story but I really felt it best to leave it here. I've been struggling with this particular chapter as it would contain the main inspiration I used to write the story and push along the idea DIS gave me when she presented this to me. The song I used is _Hate Me_ by Blue October. There is an acoustic version of this song that really hit it for me_. _The raw emotion in the vocals nearly made me cry and I knew I would be able to do this story based just off that acoustic. You can find the acoustic on youtube, just put /watch?v=jbYpKTs8Rfs after the .com, the acoustic can also be found on the 97X Green Room Volume 2 CD [97X is an alternative rock station in Florida]. Listening to the song while reading is not necessary but it is recommended. I feel that it really encompasses how Malik was feeling in this chapter and his reasoning in his decision to leave, especially that last chorus of the song.


	10. Chapter 10

_I'm stuck in this bed you made  
__Alone with a sinking feeling  
__I saw through the words you said  
__To the secrets you've been keeping_

* * *

He could only listen in pained silence as her heart wreaked havoc on her soul. Each sob creating another crack in his once-a-stone heart. But he couldn't bring himself to comfort her. Malik had done some pretty stupid things in his life, but this time he had really outdone himself. He had gotten up early that morning to start breakfast, as per the usual, when he found the letter. He crumpled the paper, nearly tearing it to pieces after he read it. He could only imagine what hers had said. He knew the exact moment she finished it. He expected to hear the crying, but he didn't expect the heartache he felt.

His little sister had been hurt. Someone would most definitely pay.

He turned his focus back to the stove. She might not want to eat but he had to try.

Anzu lay on her bed, curled into herself, as she stared at the wall through watery eyes. Her crying had reduced down to sniffles and then to silence. Why did he leave? Had she done something wrong?

She just didn't understand.

She could hear movement in the kitchen and knew that Bakura still remained. Did he know Malik left? A sudden resolve moved through her like a river current and she forced herself from the bed. Opening the door to her bedroom, she walked into the hall and followed the carpet toward the kitchen. From the doorway she spotted Bakura at the stove. His back faced her so he didn't see her as she approached the island bar and took a seat. When he finally turned, he seemed to be surprised to see her.

"Good morning." He greeted.

Anzu nodded.

He placed a plate of food in front of her before serving himself. A heavy silence hung in the air as they ate.

"Did you know?" She asked.

Bakura set his fork down and took a drink. Setting the glass down he looked at her. There was clear evidence of her tears on her face, her eyes rimmed red. Despite the red that shot through the whites of her eyes, something else lay beneath the hurt.

"No...I did not. He left me a letter on the counter. I found it this morning." He told her.

"I had a letter as well." She said.

"I know."

She looked at him in confusion. He didn't say anything but the message he conveyed with his eyes told her. He heard her tears, knew the exact moment when she woke to read it, and, judging from his look, felt her pain. She may have lost someone she would have considered a lover, but he lost a friend; someone he considered a brother. The sense of betrayal ran as deep for him as it did for her.

"Why would he really leave?"

Bakura shrugged. "I don't know. However, knowing Malik, it had to be a pretty stupid reason. He's not known for making good decisions, save for one."

"What one decision was that?" She asked.

The pointed look he gave her answered her question. Anzu looked back down at her plate, a light blush gracing her cheeks. As she continued eating, several thoughts went through her head. The main thought being where Malik could have gone. As she dwell on this thought, a burning need rose inside.

"Where would he have gone?" She asked.

"There are several places he could be." He said.

"Do you know the locations?"

A suspicious frown fell over his face.

"I do. Why do you ask?"

Anzu sat up straight, folding her on the counter as she leaned forward.

"Because I want to find him. I want to know the real reason why he left. I refuse to accept what he told me in the letter."

Bakura frowned. "What did he tell you?"

Her eyes watered as she recalled the words. As ridiculous as she found the words, they still hurt.

"He told me that he didn't want to risk my life anymore, that I would be safer if he no longer associated himself with me. I was under the assumption that with Mack and your boss no longer around, there wouldn't be anymore problems."

Bakura nodded. "There is no one else. Anyone else we were associated with hated Mack and Boss just as much as we did, only they were too scared to do anything. Now with those two gone, the group will have gone their separate ways; most likely going back to reclaim their previous lives."

"How many of you were there?" She asked.

"In the end, about twenty."

Anzu almost couldn't contain her look of surprise. In the end?

"They wouldn't want anything to do with that lifestyle anymore."

She nodded in agreement. She really didn't blame them.

"How long do you think it would take to find him?"

Bakura shrugged. "It depends on how far he went."

"How soon can we get started?"

"How fast can you pack?"

Anzu smiled as she pushed back from the bar and ran down the hall to her room. In less than an hour, they left the house.

* * *

"Order up!"

Malik rushed to the counter to grab the plates and take them out to their tables. He slowed down as he approached the table to set the plates in front of the guests.

"All right, enjoy your meal. Please let me know if you need anything else." He smiled before leaving the table side to attend to a new table.

For the past month Malik has been working as a waiter at a restaurant in a small town where he finally stopped. He felt that he had gone far enough and he didn't have to worry about running into Bakura or Anzu.

Pulling his pen from behind his ear and his order book from his apron, he came up to the table.

"Good evening, my name is Malik and I'll be your server. Can I start you off with something to drink?"

"I'll have a glass of water for now."

Malik looked up, with a startled expression, at the person who spoke.

"Mike!"

The man chuckled. "It's been a long time Malik."

"Yes it has. How long have you been in town?" Malik asked.

"I could ask you the same." Mike said. "I live here actually, but I've been away on business."

"Oh. I've not been here long. I just started my job a few weeks ago."

Mike nodded as he looked down at his menu.

"Did you need a few more minutes to look over the menu?" Malik asked.

"Yea I think so. I'll wave you over when I'm ready." He said.

"Ok."

Malik tucked his order book into the pocket of his apron and slid his pen behind his ear.

As Malik walked off to tend to his other tables, Mike pulled a phone from the pocket of his jacket and pushed a button before putting it to his ear.

"Hey man, it's Mike. I found something that I think might interest you."

"It better be good, I'm a little busy."

Mike watched Malik work around the tables.

"Oh, I think you'll forgive me." He said. "I've found Malik."

"Wonderful. I'll let Boss know. He'll be very happy. Keep tabs on him, try to befriend him. Make him think you're against us and that the group has dissolved."

"You got it."

Mike hung up the phone and turned his attention back to the menu in front of him with a smile on his face.

* * *

Mack walked down a hall to Boss' hospital room to update him. He knocked on the door before walking in. Boss had been shot close to his heart and had required surgery or else he would've died. He had a breathing tube setup and a monitor at his bedside to keep track of his breathing and his blood pressure.

"Mack, I hope you are bringing good news." He said.

"Yes sir, I do."

Boss nodded. "Let's hear it then."

Mack took a seat beside the bed. "Mike has found Malik. It seems he went back home. I've told Mike to keep a watch on Malik, try to befriend him, and when his guard is down, get rid of him."

"Good. What of Bakura and the girl?"

"They've left town. I have a few men trailing them now. Once they are found they will contact me."

Boss coughed deep before speaking. "Once you find him, give him an ultimatum. Kill the girl, and we will overlook his assistance to Malik's transgressions. If he refuses, kill them both. Give him a few days to make the decision. At the same time, keep on Malik's trail."

Mack nodded. "Yes sir."

"You've done well so far, my boy. Don't make me regret taking you in when your mother died."

"I understand."

"Good."

"How have you been?" Mack asked.

Boss took a deep breath. "Once my wounds have healed, I'll be allowed to leave. The bullet was very close to my heart. The doctor said I shouldn't be alive."

"You've always been a fighter."

Boss chuckled, resulting in another coughing fit. Mack stood up and retrieved a cup of water for him to drink from.

"Go now, my boy, you have work to do." he said.

Mack sat the cup down on the bedside table.

"I'll contact you in a few days and let you know what's going on." Mack said as he walked to the door.

"You have my room number?"

"Yes, I got it from the nurse at the desk. Get some rest, you'll heal faster."

Mack hesitated at the door for a moment.

"Goodbye Father."

He turned and left.

* * *

"Now I want you to stay here while I go and meet up with my informants. I should be back soon." Bakura said as he rushed around the living room.

It had taken a few days but they managed to get a lead as to where Malik had run off to. So they rented a cabin near the city where Malik was hiding out.

"Don't answer the door. As far as your concerned, you're not even here." He said.

Anzu smiled as she watched him run around.

"Don't worry, Bakura, I promise I won't do anything stupid." She told him.

He seemed to hear her as he grabbed his jacket and, jamming his wallet and keys in its pockets, kissed her goodbye on her forehead then bolted out the door. He started the car a moment later and pulled out of the drive, then went down the road. Anzu sat down on the couch and looked around the room. It looked like it could use a bit of dusting. The tile floor looked as if it hadn't been mopped in awhile. Giving herself these tasks would distract her until Bakura returned so she set about completing them.

_'We'll find you Malik and you'll tell me why you really left.'_

* * *

_You say that it's not your fault_  
_And swear that I am mistaken_  
_You said it's not what it seems_  
_No remorse for the trust you're breaking_  
_You run but then back you fall_  
_Suffocate in the mess you're making_


	11. Chapter 11

_Follow me home  
__Through the, the maze and on  
__I'll show you the road  
__That I led you the wrong way on_

Three days passed after Bakura and Anzu had settled down in the cabin they rented near a city where Bakura thought Malik might be. Each day Bakura went out to follow up on any leads about Malik's whereabouts. On the third day, his luck changed and he bounded into the house, his mind buzzing with the new information, happy to finally have some good news for Anzu.

"I found where he's working." Bakura said.

A smile spread across Anzu's face. "Really, where at?"

"A restaurant in town." He said then added after seeing the hopeful look on her face. "And no, you can't go, not yet anyway."

Anzu's shoulders fell, a pout appearing on her lips.

"I'm going to take the train out that way and leave the car here. If he is there, I'll confront him. If not, I'll try again later." He said.

"Okay."

"Will you be fine finding you something for dinner?" He asked.

"Yea, there's a few tv dinners in the freezer. I think I can, at least, manage the microwave."

He smirked slightly, remembering last night's cooking disaster.

"Try not to burn the cabin down while I'm gone." He told her, getting a glare in return.

He left the cabin and jogged about a mile down the road to where the train station was located. As he passed by an alleyway, someone grabbed him from behind and jerked him between the buildings. Before he could comprehend what happened, he found himself pinned to the wall by two men. One of the men yanked his head back by his hair and held a knife to his throat while the other pinned his legs and shoulders. Bakura saw a figure to the side but couldn't see who it was until they walked into his line of sight.

"Mack. Shouldn't you be dead?"

"Anzu really has poor aim when it comes to wielding a weapon, a gun being no exception. The bullet only grazed my side. I dropped to the ground to make you think I had been hit. Someone had to pull the boss out before the building blew."

'Fuck.' Bakura cursed.

"Here's the deal Bakura. Boss is willing to let all of your indiscretions fall off your record if you do something for us." Mack said.

Bakura felt his stomach clench in fear. This couldn't be good. However, he kept his face neutral.

"And what would that be?" He asked.

Mack chuckled a bit. "All you have to do is kill the girl. Get rid of her and we will let you walk away, this incident will not exist on your record."

"And if I don't?" Bakura asked.

"Then we will kill you, after we've dealt with her, of course, and it will be fun." Mack said.

He nodded to the two men. They released Bakura and backed away to stand beside Mack.

"You have two days to make your decision. At the end of the second day, I will come to you to see what you've decided."

Bakura watched silently as they left the alleyway. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, dragging his hand down his face. What was he to do now? He caught sight of the face of his watch, cursing mentally as he realized he would miss the train if he didn't hurry. Putting the new, and very serious, problem to the back of his mind for a moment, he took off toward the train station, running as fast as he could. He bought a ticket and quickly boarded the train, settling in one of the more empty cars. Immediately his mind returned to the new problem at hand. He couldn't believe Mack and Boss survived, as if they didn't have enough to deal with. He had no idea what to do about them. Of course, he wouldn't harm Anzu, he would rather cut out his own heart. He just needed to find Malik and make him understand the mistake he made. Together they would be able to take down Mack and Boss for good. Once that happened, they could return home, and Malik and Anzu could be together. Of course, if Malik would take his head out of his ass and stop being difficult, it wouldn't be easier said than done.

Bakura sighed heavily and rubbed his face. Things were more stressful than necessary now. Shaking his head he resolved to focus on his first task; find Malik and bring him back.

"So how have you been Malik?" Mike asked.

Malik shrugged. "It's been well enough."

The two men had gone to the park for the afternoon, choosing one of the more secluded parts away from the children so they could catch up.

"That doesn't sound too convincing. You seem very depressed, that's not like you. What's really the problem?" Mike asked.

Malik fought a grimace from forming on his face. He didn't think it would be so obvious.

"Just thinking, wondering if some of the choices I made were for the best." He said.

Mike smirked, burying his hands into his pockets, the fingers of one hand stroking the hilt of the blade he had hidden there. It made him want to laugh. One of Boss' most fearsome grunts had been turned into a sentimental fool by a girl. It would make killing him that much sweeter. As Malik turned to glance over at the children who were emitting shrieks of laughter, Mike slowly withdrew the knife from his pocket. The click of a gun behind his head made him freeze.

Malik heard the click of a gun and whipped his head around, shocked to find Bakura standing behind Mike, holding a gun to the man's head.

"Mike, how nice to see you. Still doing other people's dirty work?" He greeted.

"Bakura, what are you doing here?" Malik asked, his tone laced with confusion.

Bakura spoke without looking in Malik's direction. "Mike was sent to kill you Malik, as per the orders of Boss. Show him what you're hiding."

Mike grudgingly revealed his knife. Malik stood up from the bench and walked around to stand beside Bakura. Beads of sweat started rolling down Mike's face but he dared not move to wipe them. Bakura was well known within the group for having a quick trigger finger. Trying to move would result in an instant death.

"Where is Boss, Mike?" Bakura asked.

"Why should I tell you? You're gonna kill me anyway." Mike spat.

Bakura smirked. "Oh, you're quite right about that. But first, I'd like a few answers and you will give them to me one way or another. Now here are your choices: you can die quickly, or you can die painfully. Either way, I will have my answers."

Mike paled, more sweat building on his forehead. Malik and Bakura were well versed in the art of torture, having been used by Boss for several jobs that required the skill. "Boss survived your last encounter with him, but just barely. He was released from the hospital today and should be at his home. He said he's tired of Malik fucking up and thought it would be good to get rid of him."

"What were you getting out of this?" Malik asked.

"If I killed you I would rise in the ranks, and become what you were."

Bakura snorted. "You are a foolish man. Get up, and don't even think about running."

Slowly, Mike pushed himself from the bench and carefully moved around it. He knew with the slightest twitch, he would die right there. Bakura and Malik lead Mike back behind the park where the trees and bushes were thicker; no one would see them. Bakura pulled a silencer from his pocket and attached it to the end of his gun. He raised the gun, sighting down his arm, and fired. Mike dropped to the ground, blood gathering in a pool beneath his head.

"Mack approached me earlier today." Bakura said.

At Malik's surprised look he added, "Oh yes, Mack and Boss are very much alive."

"I have been given a chance to redeem myself with Boss. If I completed this one task, everything I've done since we broke into that museum would be forgotten and I can walk away without any consequences. Can you guess what that task might be?"

"To kill me I imagine." Malik said.

Bakura chuckled darkly. "No, not you, it was someone much more dear to you."

Malik froze for a moment, his breath catching in his throat as he realized what Bakura implied. "You didn't."

"It was a very tempting offer, only a fool would turn it down." He said.

A sudden rage overcame Malik and he found himself lunging at Bakura.

"You bastard!" His fist flew at Bakura's face, catching his knuckles against his cheek.

Bakura laughed as he pushed Malik off of him and took several steps back.

"You killed her! The one person I care more about than myself, you fucking killed her. I ought to kill you now but a quick death would be too merciful for what you did." Malik screamed, preparing to lunge at him once more.

"Then we would both be a fool." Bakura said.

Malik stopped his advance, giving Bakura a confused look. "What are you talking about?"

"I didn't take the job. I care for her too. I would never do that to her, or to you." Bakura told him.

"Then why are you here?"

"Someone wants you to come home."

Malik shook his head. "I can't. Don't you see? I've only brought her trouble, I can't risk her life anymore."

Bakura didn't respond, a blank expression on his face. Without warning, his fist flew out and caught Malik on the nose. Malik jerked back, his hands coming up to catch the blood streaming from his nose, as he cursed darkly.

"What the fuck? What was that for?"

Bakura sighed. "Because you are a moron."

Reaching into his pocket, Malik pulled out a cloth napkin he took from work on accident and put it against his nose. He squeezed the bridge of his nose lightly, wincing at the sharp pain that caused. The cartilage, thankfully, was not broken, just bruised.

"Now, I won't ask again, come home. Stop with this foolish charade and return to her. She is heartbroken. I will not allow you to harm her any further." Bakura said.

"I already said-"

Bakura interrupted him. "Mack will kill Anzu because I didn't. He knows where we are staying and will come to see if I've done the job. We need to leave before then and I know she will not leave without you."

"I don't think she'd want to see me."

Bakura sighed before grabbing Malik, rather forcefully, by the shoulder and pushing him ahead as he walked.

"She will be pissed but, believe me, you'll survive. Now let's go."

The train ride back to the cabin was silent but calm. At least it seemed that way. Perhaps it was the calm before the storm so to speak. As they walked to the cabin, a young boy approached them. He looked rather terrified and panicked.

"What is it?" Bakura asked.

"It's Anzu. Some guys went into the cabin, we couldn't stop them. They dragged her out and into the car. Their leader told me to give you this." The boy rushed out as he thrust a piece of paper into Bakura's hand.

_**We've taken the girl and will be waiting for you at her dance school. If you wish to see her again, you will meet us there.**_

"Shit, we need to hurry." Malik said.

He broke out into a run, leaving Bakura to hurry and catch up.

_Why did I go that way  
__Why do I steal  
__How could I let her go  
__Why do I feel_


	12. Chapter 12

_We drive  
__To leave the past and clear the mind  
__To watch the sunset set its time  
__I swear you'll find  
__I'm your ride home_

"Come on out little girl, we just want to play a bit."

Anzu closed her eyes and, for a moment, focused on steadying her breathing. Opening her eyes, she looked across the room. Most of the mirrors had been smashed by the two men, in an attempt to scare her out of hiding but Anzu knew better. However, Anzu knew the school well and managed to make her way back to the first classroom they started in without being seen. Peering carefully around the corner of the small section of wall that she was hiding behind, Anzu looked at the two men who were searching the room across from her. They were definitely Mack's men, that she knew. They broke into the cabin and pulled her out of it. They dragged her to the car and brought her back to her dance school. As it was now night, the school was empty. When they wrestled her into the room, she brought her leg up, smashing her foot into the chest of one man and sending him across the room, which broke the first mirror. Then she managed the knock the gun out of the other guy's hand and break free from his hold. By the time they recovered, she was already in the hall.

Looking back into the room, Anzu spotted the discarded gun from earlier hidden underneath the piano bench. Without a second thought she went for it and slipped it into the waist of her pants. Peering around the corner again, she took note of them heading towards the front of the school. Slipping out of the room, she went in the opposite direction toward the small kitchen in the middle of the school.

"Hey we didn't try this area."

Anzu looked up in alarm to see the two men had backtracked and were now coming toward her. Going into the back she found a glass bottle and emptied the contents out in the sink. Looking around quickly she spotted a cleaning chemical and quickly filled the bottle then poured the rest on the counters. Grabbing a discarded rag she stuffed it into the opening of the bottle. Pulling a lighter from her pocket, one that she had taken from Malik, she lit the rag on fire and threw the bottle toward the doors just as the men were walking in. The bottle smashed at their feet, setting them on fire. With the lighter still lit, she dropped it onto the counter and ran further into the back of the kitchen. She tried the door only to find it locked. Cursing out loud, she glanced around and spotted a window. She ran to it and pried it open then climbed through it. When she got several feet away, an explosion at her back threw her several more feet into the air and she rolled onto the ground, wincing as she landed on the gun. She quickly got to her feet and ran, despite the screaming protests of her leg.

–

When Bakura and Malik arrived at Anzu's dance school, they immediately noticed the fire trucks and the ambulances and came to a halt. Two stretchers were being loaded into the ambulances, and neither one of them were Anzu. Staying within the shadows, they went around to the back of the school.

"What started the fire?" One of the policemen asked.

"Looks like it was in the kitchen, one of the stoves caught fire. These two men were there and suffered some serious burns to their legs. There was no one else there." A fireman replied.

Malik looked to the ground, thinking they were too late when he noticed some markings on the ground. Hitting Bakura to get his attention, he pointed to the ground. The footprints were small and very distinct, which meant the person was barefoot when they were running. The marks in the ground before that looked like someone had knelt there before running.

"She's still alive." Malik whispered before following the direction the prints were going.

–

Anzu stopped running for a moment to try and catch her breath. Looking around at her surroundings she realized she was in her old neighborhood. Walking down the sidewalk, she quickly approached her old house. Instead of going to the front of the house, she went into the backyard and entered the house that way. The house was still the way it had been when she left. Crossing her arms over her stomach she walked into the living room, one hand on the gun at her side. She suddenly felt very tired and wanted nothing more than to sleep. A hand clamped down on her shoulder and she whirled around with a scream on her lips, her hand coming up with the gun only to have it trapped against the chest of the person holding her. She blinked furiously, her eyes seeing but her brain not wanting to believe. Malik stood in front of her, his arms around her back and the gun in her hand trapped between them. Her eyes narrowed as she still tried to make sense of it. He slowly released her, not wanting to startle her any further while she held the gun.

"Anzu?" He said quietly, watching as she set the gun on the table.

Her hand flew out, connecting with his cheek, in response. He knew he deserved that.

"Why? Why did you leave me?"

Malik grimaced at the broken tone of her voice.

"I thought if I left I could protect you, that you wouldn't be in anymore danger because of me. I know now that I was foolish to think so. I'm sorry. I-"

His voice caught as he felt the tiny pinpricks of tears entering his eyes. He looked up at her.

"I'm so sorry, I never wanted to hurt you. You deserve better than what I can give you, that's why  
I left."

Anzu lunged at him, her arms wrapping around his waist, tears in her eyes. "You stupid man. I only want you, I don't care about anything else. I love you and only you. I don't want anybody else."

Malik closed his eyes tight, bringing his arms around her back as he buried his face in her hair. "I love you as well."

Anzu squeezed her eyes tight, her heart swelling as she heard the words she'd been wanting to hear from him for a long time.

"I do so hate to interrupt this reunion but we have bigger problems to deal with." Bakura said as he picked up the gun from the table and slipped it into the waist of his pants at his back.

Malik looked up at him over Anzu's head. "Yes we do. But how?"

"I think we should deal with Boss directly."

Anzu jerked her head up. "What? He's still alive?"

Bakura nodded. "Mack too."

"But the explosion – how did they get out?" She asked.

"When you shot Mack, apparently the bullet missed him, it only grazed his side but he feigned getting hit. Boss, unfortunately, survived. Damn fucker is so fat it's no wonder. Mack pulled him out before it blew."

"Right now Mack and the men are all scattered looking for us, only a couple people will be at the main base to protect Boss as he recovers, most likely a nurse as well. If we hit them there, we'll have an advantage over them."

"You have an idea." Malik said.

"Yes and it'll involve Anzu. How good is your acting?"

"It's okay, I guess."

"We'll have you disguised as a nurse and pretend to be giving him medicine, when in actuality you'll be putting an air bubble into his blood stream, which will then travel to his heart and kill him. As heavy as he is, it should work. Then you'll leave and by the time anyone realizes what happened, it'll be too late." Bakura said.

"What about Mack?" Anzu asked.

"Oh don't worry about him, some of my lackey's will be taking care of him."

A silent moment fell over them as they were content to briefly take in the presence of one another, something they each had missed.

"So when are we doing this?" Anzu asked.

"Tonight would be best." Bakura said. "I already had someone staking out the headquarters when I heard Boss was alive still and they called earlier when we were on the train. A nurse is scheduled to come in around nine to give Boss medication for the night. After she leaves, the two guards leave as well. My accomplice will detain the nurse for us, giving us plenty of time to go in and do the job."

Within the next hour, they had everything set and ready to go. One of Bakura's men came to get them and they went over the plan one last time before arriving to the house. Anzu took a deep breath as she looked out the window and up at the house. She now wore light blue scrubs with a blonde wig fastened securely to her head and fake glasses on her face. Malik reached over and gave her hand a squeeze to help alleviate her nerves.

"Just relax and you'll be fine." He said with a smile.

She nodded and took another breath before putting her hand to the door to open it. She walked up the short driveway to the gate and pushed the button to ring the bell. A moment passed before a buzz was heard and the gate opened. Readjusting her grip on the black medical bag in her hand, she moved forward. Instead of letting herself stress on the fact that she was about to kill someone, she made herself remember why. The man inside that house had made her suffer, had made Malik and Bakura suffer. Now was the time for him to be brought to terms with the consequences of his actions.

Now was the time for him to pay.

–

Malik and Bakura waited anxiously in the car as Anzu was admitted entrance to the house, searching for the exact moment she would need them, if at all. Malik started shaking his knee as the minutes dragged on. Bakura glared at him as his movements were causing the whole car to shake.

"If you don't stop, I will shoot you." Bakura warned him.

Malik brought the offending limb against his chest, wrapping one arm around his knee as his fingers started tapping against each other.

"I just want this to be over with. We are so close now but I can't believe the moment is finally here."

Bakura's phone rang in his pocket and he drew it out to answer it.

"Hello?" A few moments passed. "Are you sure?"

Malik looked at him, wondering what was being said on the other side of the line.

"Wonderful. Burn the place down and quickly. Afterward, you are to disappear. We never knew each other."

With that said, Bakura flipped the phone closed and put it back in his pocket. At that moment, Anzu came running out the house and down the driveway. Malik told the driver to approach the gate. Once Anzu was in the car, Malik pulled her to him, his mouth slanting over hers. When they pulled apart, they settled into the seat, Anzu curling her body against his as he held her.

"It is finished. We are finally free."

Malik and Anzu looked to Bakura as he spoke these words and grinned.

Finally it was over.

_Now close your eyes  
__It's getting dark and the highways clear  
__No sign of life from front to rear  
__It's just you my dear on the ride home  
__We're going_ home

* * *

There! It's finally done! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited this story. I'm sorry it took so damn long to finish but, despite the problems I had writing the last few chapters, I kept my word and finished it. Until next time!


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